The reluctant holiday shopper

IN THE GARDEN

I’m one of those people who puts off buying Christmas gifts until the malls are crammed full of people like me, and then I panic.

If you’re one of those people who hasn’t found the perfect gift yet for your garden buddy, I’m here to help with last minute suggestions; ill equipped as I am.

Here goes: I don’t know a gardener who wouldn’t be overjoyed to find an exquisitely wrapped bag of potting soil beneath the tree on Christmas morning. If you’re desperate, check the shed to see if you have an extra bag of peat moss you bought on sale at the end of the season. Me, I’d even be happy with a big bag of stinking — well, you know what I mean. Finely aged manure is always at the top of my Christmas list. There, problem solved. Hmm, you need more options? OK, an easy one, and sure to be on top of their wish list, or somewhere on it, is a gift card for a plant and garden shop. If it isn’t on their list, better still. Imagine their surprise on seeing that shiny piece of plastic. I’m not very good at this — I’d rather be in the garden.

OK, here’s another easy one: a subscription to a garden magazine, say “Garden Making,” which is always an inspiring read. No, a card with a list of links to garden blogs isn’t the same thing; gardeners like to have something to hold in their grubby hands, like a pair of pruners. They’ll be appreciated, even if it’s what you gave last year, and the year before. If they’re anything like me, they’ll have lost them anyway. Make sure they’re sized to suit the hand of the recipient, and buy the best, the ones made with more metal than plastic, providing the metal blades are non-rusting. Most name brands like Fiskars, Felko, or Dramm are reliable. I’ve used them all. If you do opt for a no-name, that’s OK.

If it fails after a dozen snips, you’ll know what to buy next Christmas.

At the other end of the scale there are rechargeable battery-powered pruners for your friend with the creaky hands. That would be an impressive gift. I’ve never used one and I’ve no idea about the quality so you’re on your own.

I’m afraid I’m a sad excuse for a product reviewer, so I’ll stick to things I’ve used and been happy with. Among the stuff littering my garden shed are a couple of quality items that I wouldn’t be without. One is the Back Hoe that Mark Cullen introduced a couple of years ago. A multi purpose hoe, I’ve found it ideal for raking, furrowing, weeding, and fishing stuff out of the pond. The handle is wooden and the blade is stainless steel, same as my Hori Kori knife, the traditional Japanese garden tool. It’s a useful cross between a knife and a trowel that I find especially useful for cutting overgrown plants out of containers. It is sharp, so when you’re using it, make sure the left hand knows what the right hand is doing.

I always recommend stainless steel for any garden tools, especially if your giftee is ‘a-work-until-they-drop-and-toss-the-toolsin-the-shed’ kind of gardener. If they’re anything like me, they’ll take a cup of tea and a hot bath over giving a shovel a spa treatment any time. Now there’s a gift a gardener will love — maybe not the full spa treatment, but definitely a date with a massage therapist.

Whew, this has been hard. I don’t what else to suggest other than giving a poinsettia, but if you’re desperate ...

To chat with local gardeners, share tips, pics, or discuss Christmas gifts, see Grand Gardeners on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/Grandgardeners/.