December 16, 1997
Are you looking for that oh-so-perfect gift for someone on your gift list? Garden equipment and accessories are wonderful gifts for anyone who enjoys plants. Gifts can range from the practical (watering cans, pruners, gloves) to the more exciting (publications, specialized pruning shears, rare seeds, select plants) -- those things that gardeners may really want, but not actually buy for themselves. Here are a few suggestions from a gardener's wish list.
Listen for the Hints
Garden tools wear out or get lost. A replacement is always welcome, but be sure to get a hint of exactly what is needed before you buy.
A gardener should not be without a "good" knife. It's an invaluable tool for anyone who cooks or gardens. Visit a cutlery or kitchen supply store for kitchen knives. For an easily maintained, razor-sharp edge, a non-stainless, carbon steel blade is ideal. Some of the best are old ones that can be found in antique shops. To go along with a knife, buy a fine-grained sharpening stone and a knife sheath or holder if the blade does not retract.
Pruning Shears Used For Many Chores
Every household needs a pair of pruning shears. Shears are handy for shrubbery, the perennial garden, and even for the final shaping of a Christmas tree. As with other tools, it pays to buy good quality. Cheap ones raise blisters and tempers, plus they do a bad job. Look for grooved or Teflon blades that lessen sap buildup and comfortable handles with shock absorbers. Be sure to find the right size for the gardener's hand.
How about a bag of fertilizer or bottle of liquid seaweed for the gardener? It will be greatly appreciated next spring. Other gifts might include a subscription to a gardening reference book, a gardening magazine, or a gift certificate from a local garden supply dealer. How about an I.O.U. or a gift certificate for a fruit tree to be picked out in the spring or, better yet, several small fruit plants? An indoor holiday plant in full bloom is a lovely gift for someone with a green thumb.
Heirloom Seeds and Cultural Directions Can Be Gift
Some gardeners save seeds from heirloom varieties of self-pollinating annual vegetables, such as lettuce, beans, or tomatoes. A packet of these seeds, accompanied with the cultural directions, is a gift that can't be purchased. You also can give the benefit of your knowledge to the new gardener.
Design a garden as a gift and include plans, a list of vegetables, copies of appropriate Virginia Cooperative Extension literature, and seed catalogs. You also can pledge to help a fellow gardener by rototilling, mulching, and perhaps weeding during the summer months.
More gardening information is available in the Virginia Gardener Newsletter.
Visit Virginia Cooperative Extension