As I sit writing this blog, it is a beautiful late November day. Crisp and clear this morning, but with the promise of a mild and sunny afternoon. Days like these in mid-November are gifts to be treasured. I will try to find time this afternoon to do the last bit of autumn clean-up in my garden and then will put my tools away for the winter.
On lovely days like this one, it is hard to realize Christmas is just around the corner. We were pondering the other day how quickly time goes by in the fall, with seemingly few days between Halloween and Christmas. Even the stores have realized this as they now display Thanksgiving and Christmas goods as they put out the Halloween candy. So for those of you who will start their shopping on Black Friday, I wanted to get my “Wish List of Gifts for Gardeners” going.
I always find some magazines to put on the list and this year is no exception. I have subscribed to 6 magazine for about five years now. It is a high-quality, glossy magazine with gorgeous photographs of beautifully designed gardens. But a warning: this is a magazine for dreamers. The prices of the products advertised are much too high for average Americans like me. Metal garden chairs for $980 are certainly out of my budget as are pots starting at $300. But it’s nice to look at the pictures and get some ideas for replicating on a more practical level. A year’s subscription of 7 issues is about $30 and can be ordered online by Googling The English Garden magazine.
If you have a gardener on your list who loves to grow flowers for cutting, try putting together a flower arranging kit. Start with a nice vase or bowl and add a block of oasis floral foam or a couple of flower frogs. A spool of paddle wire, floral netting and clinging floral tape make flower arranging a breeze. Top it off with a good set of cutting tools like heavy-duty shears and a florist knife and you have an unusual, custom-made gift.
Beginning level flower arrangers will welcome a nice how-to manual, too. If they are experienced and have the tools and equipment already, how about scouring the local antique and thrift shops for a collection of pretty vases to give? Trying finding vases with a theme, like all bud vases, all milk glass, all cobalt blue, or all the same shape but in different sizes. These would look lovely grouped on a table or across a mantle, with or without flowers in them.
A friend recommended plant markers from Gardeners' Supply. These come as copper or zinc or slate and in a variety of sizes. Prices range from $15 to $44 depending on the number and size. They really give a classy look to vegetable and flower beds.
Gift certificates to local nurseries, florists, garden centers, hardware stores and farm stores are always welcome gifts for gardeners. And these help our local businesses at the same time. You can set the amount you want to spend and your gardener will have the thrill of picking out needed tools or plants in the spring. Almost all of the local nurseries offer a gift certificate option, but you may also find something to buy for your gardener while you are there, so look around first.
Speaking of tools, there are a few that are absolute necessities for gardeners. And on the top of my list is my pruning shears. Our son and daughter-in-love gave me a Felco pruner quite a few years ago and I have forsaken all others since. At $49 and up, these Swiss-made tools are a bit spendy, but the individual parts can be replaced if damaged, and - even after three years of heavy use - mine still hold an edge. Pruners come in different sizes for different purposes and sizes of hands, so I would suggest talking to your gardener beforehand to figure out the tasks he/she has in mind. For example, larger ones would be necessary for pruning trees, but the Felco “number 6” ones I have are perfect for deadheading plants and smaller branches.
Stocking stuffers are fun for gardeners, too. Gardening gloves are easy to find in all sizes, thicknesses and price ranges. If your gardener loves vegetables, buy a variety of seed packs to tuck in the stocking. Other small helpful items would be garden twine for tying up plants and perhaps some of that floral tape or one of the frogs. If you have more time than money to spend, make your own gift certificates good for several hours of weeding, raking leaves or helping with other garden chores. This is an especially nice idea for those on your list who aren’t gardeners!
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