Welcome to the Garden Bloggers’ Hoe Down! I am happy and pleased to be your hoestess for this one time event.
This is indeed the place where you leave your comment after you’ve posted about your hoes (or rakes or shovels) on your blog, so we can find you and come visit to see what kinds of hoes you have.
My hoe down started with a bit of grumbling from the hoes having to all be piled in the wheelbarrow together for a quick trip from the garage, around the side of the house, through the gate and into the back yard.
Wait, check that, hoes don’t grumble. That was me. Do you know how heavy and awkward a wheelbarrow full of hoes is? And I was trying to move quickly to avoid being seen by neighbors.
My neighbors do not need anything else to wonder about, as far as the goings on in my garden.
Once I got all the hoes “unseen” into the back yard behind the privacy fence, I lined up the old hoes for picture.
That little short one is the one that I think my great-grandfather might have used.
Then I lined up all the hoes for a group picture.
I noticed that newer hoes seem to have longer handles than older hoes. Or maybe, just like people, the old hoes have shrunk a bit.
It is hard to see the hoe heads in that line up, so here are the main working hoes all in a circle. 
It kind of reminds me of how the June Taylor dancers on the Jackie Gleason Show used to form circles in their dances and the camera men would take pictures from above looking straight down on them in their circle formation.
I said “kind of”.
Then the hand hoes got in on the dance.
I bet a lot of gardeners who say they don’t have hoes have a few hand hoes in their garden shed.
Toward the end of the Hoe Down here at May Dreams Gardens, some of the hoes started getting a bit out of control. 
Yes, once the hoes are hanging from the trees, it is time to call it a party, and get everyone back inside.
These hoes need to rest as they are all working hoes. In a few days, I’ll be on vacation for a week or so to work in the garden and I need all the hoes to be sharp and ready to go!
***
Is there a Hoe Down going on in your garden? Leave a comment here so we can come and see!
I’m afraid my hoes are terribly camera shy. However, I want to thank you for sharing your love of gardening and creativity in celebrating the Wonder of the world of nuturing nature in such a funloving way. As it is very late, or extremely early, I get to be the first to comment on this momentous occasion of the GREAT HOEDOWN.
Now answer me this… when your hoes have a hoedown, do they do their do-si-do all in a row??? Or do they alemade left and bow to the corner?
Now THAT would be a sight to see!
Hi Carol,
My favourite hoe is a true party animal – dosey on doe (or hosey on hoe?)over to:
http://vegplotting.blogspot.com/2008/05/garden-bloggers-hoe-down-my-favourite.html
Have a great hoe down – yee hah!
Since you got your hands on the hoe at Zanthan Gardens, it’s never been satisfied with its dull life in Austin. It wants to go where hoes get down. Swingin’ in trees? It can only dream.
Oops, I thought yesterday was the post to leave the comment on about having a post up. I will be out of town again this Saturday so posted yesterday after I saw your hoe post up. Trying so hard to follow the protocol, and failing once again! My bad.
Frances at Faire Garden
ps, I think it hilarious that you don’t want your neighbors to see that your hoes are having a wild fling. I can picture you with the wheelbarrow so heavy, struggling to act nonchalant, maybe whistling Turkey In The Straw.
F
Yahooooo, Your JT dancers are great. What a collection. I have posted my small group of two.
Wow, what a party! My tools are so partied-out that they’re lying on the ground.
Heigh Hoe Carol … my hoes are getting a restful day or two while the garden gets rained on. I do keep some of my hoes busy all year though. Stop by The Gardener Side and visit.
Hi Carol,
Man, you really do have a lot of hoes don’t you? Mine didn’t end up swinging from the trees, but they did play on the swingset for awhile…..
Your baby sister
I, too, got a little anxious and posted some of my old “hoes” yesteday. They are too tired to dance, but they did make a showing at the Shoefly Shuffle being held at Thyme for Herbs.
Hoe-ly moly, that’s a lot of hoes. I can’t say I use one, but you’ve converted me. I hope my husband realized I was serious when I said I wanted a hoe for our anniversary. Maybe I should spell it out for him, lest he get the wrong kid of ho’?
Yahoo! I made it to the party. Some of my hoes look pretty worn and it’s obvious I don’t take care of them like you do, Carol. But, they’re still great. I’m pretty sure I still have some hiding out somewhere.
http://diygardeningblog.blogspot.com/
After reading your posts about hoes, I had to go out and buy one. I’ll hopefully have a picture of it posted on my blog by the time I go to bed tonight!
Looks like your hoes are enjoying the Virginia Reel…My post is up, I could swear I commented here earlier!
Gail
Hi Carol – you came up with another fun, wacky idea ;-]
My hoes are hopefully behaving themselves back in Texas while I’m here in Illinois… I took their photos and had my hoedown post waiting in draft for the big event!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Man, Carol… I never knew that hoes could be so much fun! Maybe I’ll have to start using the one I found–and get a few more for it to party with–after all!
Carol, am really enjoying the hoe down! My gang is all coming. Thanks for being such a great hostess.
I’ve been so enjoying reading your “hoe” posts this week. I bought my very first hoe just yesterday (see: http://www.mybitofearth.net/2008/05/my-cheap-little.html ).
Happy Hoe-ing Down everyone!
Carol, that’s quite an impressive array of hoes! Here’s the link to my Hoedown post: http://texascottagegarden.blogspot.com/
My comment doesn’t seem to be up, and I thought it would be. Oh well, my hoes are here:
http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/05/02/purdyville-tools-attend-may-dreams-gardens-hoedown/
Hey Carol–this is a blast–here ya go!
http://flowergardengirl.wordpress.com/2008/05/03/this-hoe-aint-nearly-done/
My hoes took over my computer and posted. Silly girls.~~Dee
Love your idea, Carol. It makes me feel like I’ve been invited to a garden dance party. I hope everyone can trot over to my blog and sit a spell. Mint julep, anyone?
I just have the one lonely Hoe leading a life of leisure, A Hoe’s Life
Carol, you are truly the “Queen of Hoes”!
I hope it’s not too late to join the party; the hoes were waiting for one family member to get it together.
Carol: Hoely mackeral! My hoes are up and dancing around to meet all these other hoes! Thanks and you really do have the most hoes!
I managed to finally snap a photo of my two hoes relaxing in the garden…maybe if they had more friends like yours do they’d be more animated:)
One neglected and oft-forgotten hoe is languishing in Green Hall shed at the moment, and my new Cobra Head short-handled hoe is taking a well-deserved rest after some good weeding work. Alas, they won’t be up to the Hoe Down, but I’m sure enjoying your post and everyone else’s. Thanks for a zany group topic, Carol.
My hoes are ready to get to work- they just don’t like the cold weather we have here today!
My hoe and her escorts thank you for a lively and lovely Hoedown, and for ‘hoestessing’ the event! My hoe and her escorts, the Rake and the Fork, can be found here: http://gardenmisadventures.blogspot.com/2008/05/hoe-rake-and-fork.html
Thanks again, what a great idea! Even my non-gardening friends were getting in on the fun (“You should put a dress on your hoe!”)
MY HOES ARE HERE, MY HOES ARE HERE! Nobody leave yet!
Surprise, Carol! The gardener who doesn’t use a hoe is participating in the hoedown! 😮
The rakes have arrived, let the party begin in earnest.
Carol, it’s not midnight yet is it? I’m pretty sure your hoes would wait up for even the last of us.
You had me laughing out loud yesterday and today at your very humorous descriptions of your many hoes,their antics, and their lessons.
My post is finally up at HOE and Shovel.
Meems
Sorry that I won’t be able to join in the hoe-down fun. Al of my hoes are still in the shed behind pots, hoses, statuary, and other gardening paraphernalia. Hoe well, maybe next year!
I have never seen so many hoes under one roof…Gosh.
I have seen several other blogs joining in with this. Thought Beckies was great at Dragonfly Corner.
I only have one lonely old hoe but Lisa at Greenbow assures me he will make friends with the rake and the mower, so I am not too worried. Fun post, enjoyed looking at everyones hoes.
HOEly cow! Carol, you have more hoes than I can shake a handle at. I’m afraid I don’t use a hoe. I like to get down and dirty with my plants. That’s how I earned my name Dirty Knees. 😉
I just woke up on this beautiful Sunday morning to read about your wild hoedown. Thanks for making me laugh so hard. Carol, you’re a piece of work!
I have one poor broken hoe. But my little hand hoes are sharp as tacks! I wish I hard more hoes for a group picture, too :o)
Okay, I think you MUST win the prize for the most hoes owned by any gardener not an actual nursery. I am impressed beyond words, and my three hoes, one a classic straight edge, one a nice little triangular head, and one Cobra head weeder, are too intimidated to show up for the party, but are quite honored to be invited to attend. I do have a nice post about my vegetable garden up, though.
Wow, you have a lot of hoes, Carol! 🙂 I think I may have one – that I am not even quite sure how to use – that is how green I am at gardening (I may take her out today to see what she can do though – I will be sure to post a pic if I do! ). You are so funny – love the humor! (you could make a jab about how everyone is posting hoes from different area codes – kinda like that rap song a few years back – lol)
A GREAT big Thank You to everyone who joined in the hoe down yesterday or stopped by just to leave a comment. That was fun!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Your ‘links to this post’ picked up my post before I had a chance to wander over here and post. Here’s my take on tools: http://www.remarc.com/craig/?p=377
LOL! You’re so entertaining. Sorry I missed the party, but now I have everyone all back together just one happy family again. Two years is a long time to be seperated.
I’m late!! but I did post. Sigh.
Ive never even used a hoe – is it possible to garden sans hoe?
What an impressive collection! Having only two, I feel like a pauper.
When we lived in Iowa our very old neighbor had a unique hoe that looked like someone had cut the sides off a regular hoe to make it only 2″ wide. I’ve never seen one since but it was quite a useful design. Ever seen one?
We have one of those hoes that Ki is talking about in our collection. It’s a standard hoe that Ralph modified to a 2″ wide blade. It’s actually my favorite flat bladed hoe. Not too clunky. Check out the 2nd picture down on our blog DIY Gardening – The Great Garden Bloggers’ Hoedown
I believe this tool is a winner. Works great for cleaning quickly around trees.