Everything I like and wish to repurchase gets discontinued or shipped off to China, where it’s manufactured cheaply and poorly. We’re talking all sorts of products, but especially garden tools.

The first time I noticed this I was trying to find a replacement for my 18-inch bamboo rake with the proper angle for thatching lawns and tidying up garden edges. I tracked down the company whose headquarters moved to China.

Now the same rake has a stupid plastic handle and the wrong angle for a person of my height.

Then the best hand cultivator ever (I call it a scratcher) was simply discontinued by Snow and Nealley of Maine. Believe me, I’ve made repeated phone calls whining to no avail.

This past year I discovered the Winged Weeder made in Idaho. It is lightweight with a wooden handle and a small winged blade, perfect for roughing up a newly weeded bed or scratching tiny ones before they get out of hand.

I tried to get several more for the crew, but, you guessed it, they’re now made in China with a cheap metal yellow handle.

It’s still a great little tool, but so irritating. Some of you wonder why I go all political . . . this is why! Bring the work home!

As long as I’m on a roll about irritating tools, who’s with me? Leaf blowers — hate them! Loud, polluting, gas-guzzling, totally useless and creating deaf lazy people. I guess a rake and a broom are no longer in vogue.

Recently, the crew and I were working quietly and happily when two “lawn” crews showed up on either side of us. We watched two workers with no eye or ear protection blow tiny pieces of grass clippings from walkways.

The homeowners were gone for the season and we were getting a nor’easter the next day. Wonder if they ever question the size of the bill?

Here’s the best part . . . the “blowers” rarely pick up the leaves. They blow them into the garden beds or remarkably to the next property. Guess they think they magically disappear.

On a lighter note, I love the navy blue spray-painted amaranth surrounding the alien space ship at Ghost Island Farm.

I’m a big fan of gold spray paint myself. I’ve been known to spray a hanging sunflower head still standing in a winter garden for no reason but my own amusement.

Some of the dried flower heads can be painted for interesting holiday arrangements. Astilbes, grass plumes and thistles come to mind.

Violet and her two friends, Asia and Delila, walked on Sunday afternoon to support the CROP Hunger Walk. It was a six-mile trek from St. Augustine’s to the Tabernacle and back. They were shocked to learn that people walk that far every day for water in some parts of the world. Children are never too young to learn how incredibly blessed we are in this country and to develop empathy at a tender age!

I’ve turned into a flower snob. I want all dahlias all the time. Please, allow me to gloat!

I grew a large amount from seed this year — two whole large packages and saved every one. One was mixed redskin (red leaves, several colors) and the other simply called mixed giants.

I started them on a propagating mat in early March, separated the babies mid April, kept them from freezing and finally popped them into garden beds in May. I am not exaggerating to say I am picking bushels of flowers weekly.

Now, if only I had a root cellar to store them for another year. It’s so difficult to distinguish between one’s wants and needs. I’m sure I’ll figure out something. I usually toss them into a grain bag with some damp peat moss and store in a space in an unheated room.

Don’t forget they need to experience a killing frost before lifting for the season. Use a fork, not a shovel. It’s so easy to slice a tuber in half with a shovel.

I was listening to NPR recently. There was an update on the Ebola situation in Nigeria. A traveler from Liberia had arrived in Lagos. He was held in isolation in hospital against his will because of a quick-thinking nurse. Several health care workers were infected. There were eight deaths. The entire government got on board and the country is now free of the disease.

Why can’t our entire government get on board with anything? It is so discouraging to hear all the criticism from members of Congress. I know we are facing an election but honestly, when can we get it together? If the Republicans take the Senate, rest assured, even less will be done. All complaints, no action.