December 10, 2009

Growing Green
with Extension Educator Robin Trott

Last Minute Gifts for the Gardener

Do you have an avid gardener on your Christmas list? There’s still time to shop for that special, gardening Christmas present! Many local businesses carry items that would appeal to your gardening friends and relatives, including: hand tools, garden gadgets, house plants, bird feeders, books and natural soaps and lotions. So, in honor of your gardening loved ones, here’s a list of suggestions for those of you still pondering that age old question, “What in the world am I going to give for Christmas?”

• Garden clogs and deer skin gardening gloves – rubber clogs and high quality gardening gloves provide comfort and convenience for the gardener.
• Hand Tools – Good quality hand tools with comfortable handles make great gifts. Some have been ergonomically designed for the handicapped or arthritic gardener.
• Containers – Baskets and decorative pots make wonderful gifts for the gardener. For an added touch, fill the containers with decorative moss and Gardener’s Soap and Lotion. (Crabtree and Evelyn, and Burt’s Bees have very good products.)
• Decorative Fountains – make a wonderful Christmas gift. Paired with healthy house plants, they add style and whimsy to that special indoor garden space.
• Books – There are many gardening books from which to choose. Check out the new and used local bookstores, and select from a variety of topics including: garden design, northern gardening, herb gardening, organic gardening, vegetable gardening, perennial gardening, flower gardening…the possibilities are endless.
• Statuary – Angels, animals, faeries… whatever tickles your gardener’s fancy is available in a range of prices, styles and sizes.
• Gardening Magazine Subscriptions - One click of the mouse can get your loved one a subscription to a magazine full of wonderful gardening suggestions to fill the cold winter months. Northern Gardener, Fine Gardening, and Garden Gate are some of my favorites.
• Membership – to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is a wonderful way to share your gardener’s passion for the outdoors. A membership to the Minnesota Horticultural Society comes with a subscription to Northern Gardener.
• Bird Feeders – there are so many decorative styles of feeders to attract any bird that might fly through your winter garden. Pair this with a bird identification book and binoculars to thrill the avid birder on your list.
• An Herb or Mushroom Garden Kit – is a fun and delicious garden gift. Just plant according to directions, and soon your kitchen will be full of fresh herbs and tasty fungi. Good luck on all that last minute shopping! See you at the mall!

“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present. ”

~Babatunde Olatunji