Holiday gift ideas for gardeners

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Q. Like so many households these days, our budget for holiday gift giving is thin. We and most of our family and friends enjoy our gardens. Any ideas for cost-free or inexpensive gift giving with that in mind?

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A. If you have a gardening skill that you know would benefit a family member or friend, offer it in writing on a holiday card. This might be pruning an overgrown shrub, or growing a few gift transplants of a favourite flower or vegetable.

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Create gifts from home-grown items. I’m making lavender sachets. In other years I’ve made raffia-tied swags from fragrant greens such as sweet bay. Part of the kiwi fruit harvest is transformed into gift packages. Other offerings could include packets of seeds saved from the garden’s plants, or jars of jam, jelly, pickles or relishes made from the garden’s produce.

Food gardeners are known to enjoy cooking. An attractive or amusing tea towel would be a welcome gift. I have some with a bee theme. Another says: “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.”

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In times like these, anything with the power to create delight or elicit a smile has value beyond measure. Knowing the person to receive the gift will be the guide to just the right thing.

I’m thinking of objects like the “Garden Angel” on a stake stuck into a planter at the front of my house, and a concrete napping elf and a grinning pig in the back garden. A laughing Buddha, whimsical garden fairies, an eccentric planter or bird house are all possibilities.

Treat yourself to a festive amble through a local garden centre, where you might just light upon a perfect gift — a holiday plant, packets of seeds, a weeding tool, herb growing kit, soil thermometer. Or, offer the pleasure of anticipation in the form of a gift certificate from your favourite garden centre.

Shopping at local businesses helps to ensure they will still be around when you need them. It supports your neighbours and the local economy.

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