Last Minute Gift Ideas for Gardeners
Garden Clippings for December 18, 2021
It was not a week after American Thanksgiving when I saw the words “last minute gift ideas” on a flyer stuffed in the mailbox. Not true. Today, December 18, is not the last minute, last hour, last day or even the last week before Christmas. Gardeners are busy people, and most like me, don’t need a month to shop.
If there is a gardener on your list, you are in luck, because gardeners are easy to shop for.
Start by looking at tools, with cutting tools being on top of the wish list. We gardeners are a frugal bunch and are reluctant to spend good money on a hand pruner, but we’d be thrilled to unwrap a pair. Swiss made Felco pruners are the preferred choice for horticulture snobs, and worth the nearly 100 dollars.
Cutting tools such as light weight hedge shears and foldable bow saws will satisfy any gardener’s appetite. Shovels, rakes, and garden spades might not be the prettiest gifts under a tree but will be well received.
For the over 60 group, a pair of knee pads are a godsend, and make the job of weeding and planting bulbs or flowers much easier. For those who have difficulty getting up and down, a foldable garden kneeler is a must. Flip it over and it becomes an instant chair.
The garden accessory that I use with surprising frequency is a chub trug, or plastic tub. It gets used for anything and everything and is far easier to lug around the yard than a wheelbarrow.
I am a fan of garden gloves, and have a pair for the car, the garden shed, the garage and the mud room. Don’t get the cheap cotton gloves but get a pair that fits like a glove. A good pair of garden gloves will last many years, and will withstand sweat, mud and moisture
Waterproof garden clogs are a hit, especially for those mornings when the dew lasts till noon. Look for a pair that slip on and off with ease. My purple garden shoes are so comfy that I’ve been caught wearing them at the grocery store.
Grass seed does not seem like a proper gift, but anybody who shops for grass seed in 2022 will be in for a big surprise. Prices for a bag of seed have already risen slightly but will soon go through the roof. Don’t blame the issue on Covid-19 but blame a crop failure on the Northeastern United States where most of the world’s seed is grown. If you can find some 2021 seed, you would be wise to scoop it up.
Tropical plants make great gifts for those who love gardening but can’t dig the earth in wintertime. Don’t buy room sized trees but choose an assortment of small plants that can be placed on windowsills. Accompany the plants with cute pots and a bag of soilless growing medium.
With so many people holed up indoors due to Covid, bird feeders are a hot commodity. A platform or barn style feeder will bring the most birds, while tube feeders attract colourful finch. Look for a feeder that is easy to fill. Accompany the gift with a bag of specialty bird food that will attract a wide variety of feathered friends.
