Any gardeners
on your gift list this holiday season? Considering the popularity
of the sport, it's inevitable. A plant for the garden seems like
the obvious choice but, even if the climate allows, is tricky. Most
gardeners like to pick out their own plants. Another easy way out
is a gift certificate to a nursery. But opening an envelope won't
earn you as many points as something you've put some thought and
effort into.
If you're looking for a gift that's guaranteed to be well received,
consider a pair of Felco pruners. These Swiss-made cutters are revered
among gardeners. There a several models to choose from, starting with the
basic No. 2 ($31). Left-handed ($36, $48) or small-hand gardeners ($34)
would appreciate the models designed especially for them. I'm intrigued
by Felco's ergonomically designed model (No. 8, $36) but haven't tried
it yet. Do be aware that the Felco pruners vary in price. The prices that
I've noted are the lowest I've found. You can locate them at Peaceful Valley
Farm Supply, www.groworganic.com,
888-784-1722.
For something a little more unusual, a little sexier in the way of a
gift for the gardener, consider the Garden Music CD. Let's face
it, gardeners aren't always in the garden. At times we're indoors
reading, doing housework or paying bills and would enjoy listening to classical
music. Garden Music is the brainchild of Incentive Media LLC, a Philadelphia
marketing company, to help the National Gardening Association raise money
for youth gardening programs. (It's also the force behind Pet Music, the
ASPCA-endorsed CDs to help alleviate pet stress and separation anxiety.)
Garden Music consists of two collections, dubbed The Flower Collection
and The Herb Collection, each boasting more than three hours of music.
Conductor Jeremy Swerling assembles fine performances from composers including
Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Debussy, and Mozart. Both collections are
equally light and lively.
The packages are designed to resemble oversized seed packets; the individual
discs are delightfully decorated with a hand-painted watercolor flower
or herb with names to match--Sunflowers, Dahlia, Portulaca, English Lavender,
Bee Balm, and Calendula. Price: $20 at www.gardenmusic.com.
Gardening news service. The Avant Gardener is a little-known
newsletter published by Thomas and Betty Powell that's been keeping its
readers current with the latest horticultural information since 1968. For
$20 a year, you get eight old-fashioned typed pages every month. No photos
and no color, which matches the editorial style--no nonsense and to the
point. The October issue, for instance, includes several paragraphs on
the ban on Dursban, ways to foil frost, growing rhododendrons indoors,
the revival of topiary and espalier, low-growing spireas, and American
hollies awarded the 2001 Gold Medal Plant Award. There's no telling what
the next issue will cover but there's almost always something interesting,
and the format--bite-size chunks of information--makes for easy reading.
Subscribers can give subscriptions at $14 until December 31; the regular
rate is $20. Contact The Avant Gardener, P.O. Box 489, New York,
NY 10028.
Gardening Which? This British magazine is the Consumer Reports
of the gardening world. It rates and compares products and lays out the
information straightforwardly. And who better than the English, the people
credited with many gardening standards and innovations, to tell us what's
new in plant varieties and trends. The almost-monthly (actually 10 issues
a year) is full of color and breathtaking photographs. The September/October
issue features headlines like 'Drama with Dahlias,' 'Lawn Care Tools on
Test,' 'Pansies vs Violas,' 'Saving Seed from Perennials,' 'Winter Cabbage
Taste Test,' and 'Meeting Miss Jekyll.' I haven't tried buying any tools
or equipment rated by Which? as the brands and manufacturers are British
and the shipping might be prohibitive.
I did find a lot of good ideas for plant and color combinations, containers,
garden art, and information on new plant varieties from Gardening Which?.
Where else would you find head-to-head tests and ratings of cherry tomato
varieties (Jan/Feb issue) or salvias (March issue)? The web site is www.which.net.
A subscription to this side of the pond costs £57.00 (this includes
£10 airmail costs), which is about $70, depending, of course, on
the exchange rate. For a subscription, best bet is to e-mail Gardening
Which? at which@which.net.
Gloves. Until recently, I just accepted the cuts and scrapes
and dirty
fingernails as the inevitable fate of a gardener but when I saw
an ad for Foxgloves I figured it was too good to be true. The
invention of landscape architect and horticulturist Harriet Zbikowski,
these gloves are made of spandex and nylon to resist the roughness
encountered in the garden while still allowing a fine touch. Thanks
for Foxgloves, I'm now a convert. I hardly noticed I was wearing
gloves. They worked fine with pruners or trowel, transferring
plant from pot to ground, collecting caterpillars, weeding fine
seedlings, and even burrowing in the soil after tenacious weed
roots. The only thing I couldn't do as well was
deadheading, which requires a pinching action that the gloves
muffled. It was nice to have unscathed hands and clean fingernails
when I finished. The jury is still out on durability; results
of on-going testing will be reported in future columns.
There are two sizes -- regular and large. The regular ones fit
my small hands comfortably with a little room to spare. Price:
$25 from www.foxglovesgardengloves.com,
888-322-4450.
Weather tools. If you've noticed the fixation gardeners have
with the
weather, you've discovered another gift idea. I've combined two
in this category, one item that's supremely utilitarian and one that's
useful but also attractive garden décor. The former is the E-Z Read
Jumbo Rain Gauge, perfect for gardeners who don't see as well as they used
to or simply don't want to trek outside to read the gauge. This 2-foot
gauge has big 1-inch numbers and a red float marker. Item # IN - CRLG100,
$12.50 at www.windandweather.com.
Snow is another thing gardeners measure and this copper gauge
is useful and pretty enough to pass for sculpture even for gardens
that don't get snow. It's 2 feet tall (29x5 1/2 inches) but for
deeper snow you can get an extension that doubles that. It starts
out shiny copper but will change 
to
a verdigris patina over time. Item # RG-3044, $35 at www.windandweather.com.
The extension for the gauge is Item # RG-3044X, $25.
Wildlife houses and feeders. Where there's a gardener,
there's also an appreciation for wildlife. Not just cute robins,
but such critters as bats, bumblebees, turkeys, and road runners.
Dr. Smiley Birdhouse, also known as the dentally-challenged home
for the birds, has a tooth - missing grin that's guaranteed to
make even the crows chuckle. It measures 9 1/2Hx8x7 inches and
is made of resin. From a bird's point of view I'm not sure how
functional it is, although Windandweather.com tells me that birds
have been known to take up residence in it. Just consider it garden
decoration. If a bird moves in, it's a bonus. Price: $40 from
www.windandweather.com. 
Before you turn up your nose at the word 'bat,' keep in mind that these
flying mice eat enormous amounts of insects a day. A bat house is tall
and narrow and bottomless (approximately 18x9x6 inches, HWD). The interior
surface is rough so the bats have something to cling to. According to Peaceful
Valley Farm Supply, though, a bat house is doesn't require any maintenance
but positioning it can be tricky. To make it bat friendly, it must be located
near water, in an unobstructed spot well off the ground--12' to 15', and
face east or southeast (they like morning sun, too). A multi-chambered
bat house made out of cedar costs about $37. Available at www.groworganic.com.
A bumblebee condo is an easy way to increase your harvests, support
biodiversity, and learn more about the lives of the most beneficial
of all our insects. Bumble bees are not as temperamental as honeybees,
but they are excellent garden pollinators. The "Humble Bumble Home" measures
11x8x6 inches and is $26 at www.groworganic.com.
Feeding wildlife is a favorite pastime of gardeners, especially
if it keeps the wildlife from feasting on your garden. If you want to take
a big step beyond a run-of-the-mill birdfeeder, consider a turkey or quail/roadrunner
feeder. Wild turkeys are big birds requiring a feeder that holds plenty
of feed. I came across one made of redwood that can hold 50 pounds of feed.
Price: $210 from www.planetgarden.com.
A less expensive alternative is a quail and roadrunner feeder. It holds
10 pounds of seed. Price: $30 from www.planetgarden.com.
Garden books. Every gardener has a wish list of book titles.
A new feature on Amazon.com may make those lists more available to the
gift-givers. A registry allows users to post their wish list. I realized
it isn't completely foolproof when my husband registered but I couldn't
access his list by entering his name. Entering his e-mail address finally
got me there but not everyone knows a gift recipient's e-mail address.
Still, if you can coax a gardener to cooperate, this could be an easy way
out to get the titles they want.
Without that lifesaver, you're faced with an overwhelming selection
of garden books. One bit of advice: whatever you buy, don't inscribe it.
Most bookstores will make an exchange of a gift book if it isn't marked
up and is in good shape.
In the book category, one safe recommendation is Michel Pollan's "Second
Nature: A Gardener's Education" (Dell paperback, $12.55 at amazon.com)
which has attained classic status. The Amazon.com review describes it as
"a blend of meditation, autobiography, and social history...ultimately
a modern Walden." It's also very funny.
One of the recent offerings that is tempting is "Passionate Gardening:
Good Advice for Challenging Climates" (Fulcrum, $34.95) by Lauren Springer
and Rob Proctor. It has gotten good reviews in the press but I can't vouch
for it myself. I plan to review it in an upcoming column.
Garden ornaments. Garden art is very 'in,' especially colored
glass and copper. But it's hard to incorporate something like a gazing
ball in the garden without it looking out of place. One way is with one
of the beautiful sculptures combining copper and hand-blown glass at www.designsincopper.com.
The selection includes, among other things, a snail, frog, mosquito, butterfly,
and my favorite, Fred and Ginger, a pair of flamingos. They look as fragile
as gazing globes but aren't'; the thick blown glass and the copper are
tough and long lasting. The snail retails for about $100 and measures 12x7x7
inches. The web site will help you track down where they're sold nearest
you.
Good luck with your shopping!
