Nine Last Minute Gifts for Gardeners

by Jan Cashman 12/7/21

For that special gardener on your Christmas list:

1. Give a Felco pruner, the Cadillac of pruners, a Swiss-made tool that lasts for years with all replaceable parts. My husband Jerry, whose pruners get heavy use, says his Felcos last 4 or 5 years.  Of course, he sharpens his blades often and gets a new blade after a year or two. 
2. Another favorite tool is the versatile soil knife, great for weeding. I loosen the roots of the weed with the soil knife and pull the weed out with my other hand.  It also has a handy cutting/sawing edge and can dig a small hole for planting packs of annual flowers in the spring. 
3. A gardening book to pour over this winter when you can’t garden outside makes a great gift for a gardener. Try Plants of the Rocky Mountains.  I like the books by Cheryl Moore-Gough because she is a local gardener, such as Rocky Mountain Vegetable Gardening Guide and Saving Seeds.  Another gardening book recommended for our climate is Cold Climate Gardening.
4. Gardeners will love huge Amaryllis bulbs for forcing indoors— try bright red ones for Christmas! You can purchase the bulb, started bulbs, or bulbs planted in a pretty pot.  Then reuse the pot for other plants. 
5. Gardeners don’t have to stop growing plants just because it is winter. Houseplants have become more popular than ever because they are “natural”, clean and add oxygen to our indoor air.  There are houseplants for sunny spots, flowering houseplants, and those that grow better in low light. You can purchase small plants inexpensively or big ones for a focal point in a room.  For a while ferns were “out”, but they are back.   I recently placed a fern back in a spot in my living room where I had one years ago.  It looks great!   Succulents are a trendy and easy-to-grow addition to your indoor environment. 
6. For the cook on your list, how about herbs that can be grown indoors all winter and added to whatever you are cooking for dinner? Parsely, sage, rosemary, and thyme all grow well on your kitchen windowsill.  As does basil.  Plant them in a pretty pot for a useful gift. 
7. There is some beautiful pottery sold these days for every taste—bright colors, Mexican talavera, terra cotta tan, and neutral tones of gray, black or white. All make a nice gift.
8. A basket with a combination of gardening tools and seeds, fertilizer, and books is a fun gift. Line the basket or pretty pottery container with a garden-themed kitchen towel and don’t forget the gardening gloves!  A pair of gardening gloves also makes a good stocking stuffer. 
9. Always appreciated GIFT CERTIFICATES are the gift that lets that special gardener chose what they want when they want it.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Cashman Nursery and Landscaping!