I don’t know where November evaporated to, but here we are in December — a month greeted by some with delight and by others with galloping trepidation.
Which shall it be? A time of treats, fun and indulgence or a period of onerous duty and expense?
Here’s an idea: Consider this “holiday” month as a practice session in simplifying, and also in reducing the waste that the season is notorious for.
Many gardening families are experts in this department, even in seasonal gift-giving. Choosing yuletide presents for other gardeners can be, and usually is, an exercise in environmental stewardship.
Consider, for instance, a hand-made certificate promising the gift of time and help in the garden. Perhaps a local garden club membership would be appropriate. An easy-growing house plant gives pleasure year-round. Colourful magazine pages and re-usable cloth and gift bags can replace the wrapping paper that adds to the post-holiday waste stream.
Winter cheer. At this dark time in the year gifts that help to lift the gloom and brighten spirits are bound to be welcome. Some ideas:
• A colourful, flowering holiday plant;
•A few 2016 seed and garden catalogues to fuel dreams of the garden in summer;
• A pair of warm, fun garden-themed socks, to be found at some gardeners’ gift shops;
• A potted amaryllis bulb in bud or bloom, or a paperwhite narcissus planting kit;
• A simple seed sprouter with a selection of sprouting seeds for fresh winter greens growing on a kitchen counter;
• For fresh herbs and greens all winter there are small, countertop light stands;
• A garden book that matches the special interest(s) of the gift recipient;
• A gardening journal presents the opportunity and incentive to record a year’s observations and plantings;
• A feeder to position near a window is guaranteed to provide many hours of winter pleasure watching the antics of neighbourhood birds.
The basics. For beginner gardeners or those limping along without tools necessary for easeful gardening, consider the basics. I almost never venture into the garden without these:
• Gloves. Inexpensive rubberized gloves with knit backs that “breathe” are my preference;
• Secateurs (hand pruners). Here, Felco is my choice. They take hard use and they last so long I can’t even remember when I acquired my small-hand Felco #6 size which, for someone like me who does massive amounts of pruning, are a blessing. I found the larger sizes to be hard on my hand;
• Basket or trug for collecting weeds and debris for composting;
Then, depending on the task at hand, I’ll bring along these tools:
• Long-handled digging shovel for preparing plots for planting and many other uses. I have a shovel with a regular width blade and also one with a narrow blade, useful for digging in confined spaces. The narrow-bladed version goes by different names: border shovel, transplanting shovel, and even the slightly silly “Lady” shovel;
• Hand weeder or claw cultivator for cleaning and tidying beds and plots;
• Trowel. This tool need not be expensive as long as it is comfortable and sturdy. Some gardeners, especially those who work in dense soil, prefer trowels with a narrowly rounded, serrated end for easier biting into the soil;
• An alternative to other hand tools are multi-purpose inventions such as the Japanese gardening knife called the Hori-Hori, a broad knife with one plain, sharp edge and one serrated edge. Among its many uses are planting, cultivating, transplanting, lifting deep-rooted weeds, dividing perennials and cutting sod. Elizabeth Cull of the Dig This stores says this tool is one “everyone should have;”
• Watering can. Indispensable for transplanting. My routine is to settle a group of transplants into partially filled pockets in the soil and then pour a gentle stream of transplanting solution into each pocket before firming soil around the plant. My father called this the “puddling” method of transplanting.
The gardener-cook. Many are the possible gifts for gardeners who use the foods they grow as pathways to culinary adventures.
• Windowsill tray of potted herbs;
• Seeds for herbs, favourite vegetables or edible flowers;
• An easy-grip, super-sharp vegetable peeler. The Christmas gift catalogue from Lee Valley Tools has one that cuts julienne strips with each pass over a vegetable;
• Cutting board;
• Barbecue vegetable grilling basket;
• Vegetable spiralizer.
Easiest of all is to give the pleasure of anticipation in the form of a gift certificate from a garden centre or gardeners’ supply and gift store.
