Christmas Gifts for Gardeners

Garden Clippings for December 16, 2017

If there is an avid gardener on your list, Christmas shopping is a cinch.  And you won’t need to break the budget to gift wrap a cool gardening gadget under the tree.

In past Decembers my garden gift ideas have included the tried and true.  Stuff that any gardener would appreciate.  Top of list has always been good quality garden pruners, the kind that you would not normally buy for yourself because the investment would be too steep.  I have always said that a good pair of pruners ought to be a joy to put in your hands and eventually in your will.

Wind chimes make wonderful gifts, and can run from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars.  If you are crafty, you can make a set of windchimes out of teaspoons bought from the Goodwill store.

Hand cream geared to gardeners is always appreciated, along with a gardener’s journal to keep track of when, what and where you have planted your seeds.

Bird baths, lawn ornaments, statuary, and pieces of garden art are beautiful gifts but need to be chosen to suit the style and personality of the receiver.  For example, Grandma, in her day, may have appreciated a shiny gazing globe in the garden, but if I had one in my yard, I would run over it with a lawn mower.

For a practical gift, consider a pair of knee pads to protect legs and knees.  A sun hat is a clever idea for those hot mid summer days.  Easy slip on rubber garden shoes are available in many colours and designs.

For the anxious gardener who wants to see growth immediately after Christmas, think about a mushroom growing kit that can be triggered to produce all winter.  These easy kits, at about 30.00 each won’t reduce your grocery bill significantly, but will have you pouring over cookbooks to figure out how best to use these novelty mushrooms.  Shitake is the most popular type, followed by Blue Oyster and Elm Oyster mushrooms.  Growing mushrooms is not a one time activity, but will continue to bear fruit (fungus) until the spores are depleted.  The kit can be put outdoors when the weather warms up.

Seed starting trays and transparent plastic domes to cover them are good ideas for those who want to start seeds indoors in winter.

Bird feeders of all kinds are available and can be put out right after Christmas.  In our backyard we have a tube style finch feeder, traditional barn feeder and platform feeder, guaranteeing activity all winter long.  I spring we add a glass hummingbird feeder to compliment the annual flowers that we plant in containers on the patio.

For the gardener who is hard to buy for, a new pair of gloves will be appreciated.  I prefer the easy grip flexible types with PVC coating.  Newly available are gloves that will protect those with long fingernails.

Finally, gift cards are the obvious option, enabling the gardener to wait till spring to splurge on everything from Hydrangea, to Hibiscus, to Holly.