#39 Gifts for Gardeners

                What’s this “gifts for gardeners”? The madman has been walking around grumbling, “Not even Thanksgiving and Christmas stuff is out! Jack has already put up his Christmas tree. Bah! Humbug!”  I have to remind him Christmas is only 4 weeks away, and people have to start thinking about what to get their gardening friends.

                That got his mind off of Jack and into the Christmas Spirit. Once I convinced him that not everyone wants or needs a greenhouse, we started thinking about some useful gifts that others might overlook. In our experience, the following have become essential and might lessen your holiday shopping dilemmas.

1. Felco 8

You need a good, strong, dependable pair of clippers. The Felco Company makes a lot of varieties, but early on in our gardening adventures, the #8 was recommended as a perfect all-purpose pruner. It has proved itself. With the bright red handle it is easy to find when the madman carelessly leaves it behind. Interestingly, Felco makes a left-handed pruner, the #9, but the madman has adapted to the right-handed world (at least in gardening).

2. Garden Trug

Sometimes a quick pruning trip doesn’t merit pulling out the wheelbarrow. A trug is good for dragging stuff out of the garden and can double as a harvest basket. It is easy to clean and comes in a variety of sizes and colors. The madman says to remember that “bigger is better.”

3. A Hip Trug

This has no relation to #2, but is somewhat the same. It is a sturdy little container that easily attaches to your clothing or belt. Handy for picking berries, cherry tomatoes or beans. The hip trug is so much more useful and comfortable than the old tin coffee can with the string to hang around my neck. This year I may have to get the madman his own, since he is always using mine when I need it.

4. The Maine Garden Hod

The garden hod is basically a sturdy vegetable holder. Flip it on its side for a handy garden stool, then flip it back to fill with tomatoes, cucumbers and whatever other harvest you have. Grilled bottom lets you hose everything down outside. It comes in two sizes, but remember the madman’s words, “bigger is better.” (Although the small makes a great gift for a kid.)

5. Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening

Matt Mattus, a well-known gardener, blogger and lecturer, has been growing plants his entire life. The madman received this book for Christmas last year, and after reading it, he came up with many ideas that he incorporated into our garden. Remember the peas? Although it makes a good coffee table book, it is better read and digested before the start of the 2020 gardening season.

6. Root Knife

A long time ago we found this in a familiar garden catalog. We bought it on a whim, but soon discovered that everything about it was perfect. We use it for separating plants, edging garden beds, or cutting squares of sod (you know, when you are hunting for Japanese beetle larvae). Alas, the last time we wanted to replace it we could only find it on-line through Dictum, a company in Germany. Still, it’s worth its weight in Euros.

7. Stirrup Hoe

We don’t usually recommend buying any large garden weeding tools because the feel of a tool is personal. However, we are making an exception in this case. Almost immediately, this became a favorite implement for weeding the paths. We haven’t found a stirrup hoe we don’t like.

8. Gardener Tool Seat

This handy, lightweight, folding seat has enough canvas pockets to hold all our hand tools, bear spray and anything else headed for the garden. The madman’s first thought was, “another useless taker-of-space,” but we have both come to love it. Used properly, it keeps all the garden hand tools in one place, and ready to head to the garden at a moment’s notice.

9. Membership to the American Horticultural Society

This membership supports a good cause, but we love it mostly for the reciprocal admission arrangements to botanical gardens all over the country. And, there is not a gardener alive who doesn’t like to visit other gardens.

10. Gift Certificate to a Local Garden Center

This way, your gardener can choose the perfect gift. It supports local businesses, but more importantly sometimes your tastes and those of your gardening friend do not exactly match. After so many years of gardening with the madman, I have fully come to understand and appreciate this concept.

Stocking Stuffers

If you happen to be the stocking-stuffer type, and who besides the madman isn’t, we can offer some suggestions.

Seeds – there isn’t a gardener alive that doesn’t appreciate a good seed packet.

Twine – everyone, especially gardeners, needs twine.

Labels – So many times I have heard the madman say, “I forgot what I planted here, and I wish I had a label.”

This year’s Farmer’s Almanac – everything is on line, but it is sometimes fun to flip through the pages – just don’t bet the ranch on weather predictions.

A blank journal – I am always reminding the madman to write things down!

Hope we have given you some good ideas, but now it is time to make our own lists. The cocoa is ready.