I think gardeners are very easy people for whom to shop. In addition to being really awesome and friendly, gardeners always have a need for both practical items like garden tools and gloves, as well as extravagant items like garden hardscape materials, benches, statuary, even hoop or greenhouses.
If you are shopping this Christmas for a gardener or are looking to make up your own wish list, here are a few items to consider.
Gardening product and seed company websites serve as excellent places to search for new and innovative gardening items. I found several interesting items on the Burpee website (www.burpee.com), for example, including an herb and flower drying rack kit, reasonably priced at $14.95. It looks great and is designed to hang inside your home where drying blooms and herbs can add a decorative touch and provide easy access when ready to use.
I always find myself looking for spots to hang and dry garden materials and this looks like an interesting and easy-to-use option. The hanging rack comes with hooks and twine for attaching plant material.
I’m sure I’m not alone in being in desperate need of a kneeling pad for weeding chores. I feel embarrassed to say how old my garden kneeling pad is as well as some of the items I use to cushion my aging knees while working in the dirt.
There are a wide variety of very nice garden kneeling pads available out there and I know I would love to find a new one under the Christmas tree.
Burpee Seeds offers a wide selection of thoughtful gardening “kits” which include a Gardener’s Tool Time gift set for $39.95. It comes with a trowel and soil fork, a tool carry bag and plant markers. The Sunflower Super Success gift set comes to a little more at $58.95 and includes a trowel, fertilizer and a garden hose. Burpee also offers a “Burpee’s Buddies” pet treat collection for $22.95 with oatgrass and wheatgrass seed for planting inside in a container and growing on your windowsill for the munching pleasure of kitties and doggies.
I enjoy growing sprouts inside, especially in the winter to add to salads and sandwiches. Most seed catalogs, including Harris Seeds, offer inexpensive sprouting dishes that make it easy to have a constant supply of fresh sprouts. Seed catalogs also sell a wide range of seeds for sprouting.
A nice camera can make a wonderful gift for a gardener. Photographing your garden is fun and can help you spot areas that are working and areas that need help or are in need of a change. Additionally, photographs can help you document to remember growing seasons, especially if you combine the photos with a journal.
Finally, don’t forget about cookbooks. They serve as another great item for gardeners who are always looking for new ways to prepare the fresh fruits and vegetables they grow. There are a wealth of books out there that focus on using fresh garden produce.
Vedge, for example, is a vegetarian cookbook from Philadelphia restaurateurs Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby. Included are vegetable dishes as well as desserts featuring fruit.
