If you’re looking to find a gift for the gardener in your life or just looking to treat yourself, there’s plenty of useful, fun and beautiful items available this Christmas that can be enjoyed right now or saved with anticipation of next year’s gardening season.
Gloves are always a welcome gift for gardeners. They are something you absolutely cannot do without and high quality gloves make such a difference for everything from pulling weeds, to digging in the soil, to clearing brush. Consider giving gloves meant for rose gardening – they are extra-long and are great for difficult chores such as removing poisonous vines, pulling out or pruning anything with prickers or thorns, and even bug removal.
Seeds are always a fun and welcome gift for gardeners, and this year Burpee seeds – www.burpee.com – is offering a heritage seed collection packaged in collectable Burpee innovated seed packets. The vintage graphics are very beautiful. Five heirloom vegetables are featured including Chinese Giant Sweet Pepper and Golden Bantam Corn. The graphics featured are catalog covers from the debut of the seeds. The Golden Bantam Corn packet features cover art from 1921, for example.
Garden graphics are always beautiful and you can look for vintage poster art at local antique shops and book stores. There are great sources of reproduction pieces on-line which are interesting to look through. The posters can be displayed inside as part of your decor, which can help keep everything looking lush indoors even when its drab mid-winter outdoors.
Lanterns are popular right now and you can find them everywhere from garden centers to grocery stores, especially during the holidays. Lanterns look beautiful set in the garden or hanging from garden hooks, and add a festive air when lit at night during any season. They are also great for decorating your porch or featuring natural seasonal elements placed inside instead of a candle.
New garden tools are always welcome. You might consider including a tool sharpener or a soil thermometer along with trowels, clippers and weeding tools. I’m also seeing boot scrapers, which are great for cleaning off muddied-up outdoor footwear.
Don’t forget garden-related items are fun and educational for the young people on your list. Garden-based learning is big right now as children can learn many skills – from creative writing to mathematics – while they are enjoying time in the garden. Look for insect hotels which look like little houses with lots of tiny compartments for solitary beneficial insects. You can also look for books and online for directions on how to make your own. It is not difficult and can be done with garden materials you might otherwise throw away. Making insect hotels sparks creativity as the finished product can take on any look – even a fantasy woodland cottage.
Another idea for children is a fairytale garden. Purchase seeds for items like beans – “Jack in the Beanstalk;” peas – “The Princess and the Pea;” and flowering vines. Pick a small area to plant and tend the fairytale garden next growing season and enjoy story time outside with your little ones. Larger seeds for easy growing annuals like sunflowers and nasturtiums also work well and make the garden a special spot for imaginative play.
