If you’re like me and a last minute shopper, here are my top five Christmas gift ideas for the gardener on your list:
1) Felco Pruners – A pair of Felco pruners underneath the tree Christmas morning is every gardener’s dream, at least mine anyways. They cost a bit more – actually, a lot more – than other brands, but they are the gold standard of pruners. Tough and durable, they will last a lifetime, unless you’re like me and leave them on the picnic table all winter. But even then all that was needed was buying a replacement blade and spring, both readily available.
There are several different models available, including ones for left-handers. And if you really want to make that gardener on your list happy with joy on Christmas Day, splurge and get them the Model 810 power-assisted hand pruners with 1.25” cutting capacity. It comes with carrying pack, a rechargeable lithium ion battery, and is only $2,829.99. Check with Kingwood Center or one of our fine area independent garden centers for the lesser expensive models.
2) Wilcox All-Pro Hand Trowel – If the gardener on your list already has the Felco Model 810 or your credit card is nearing its limit, go low tech with a hand trowel. There are a lot to choose from, but don’t bother with any but a Wilcox All-Pro. It’s another tool that will last a lifetime, even if you do leave it out all winter.
Made of stainless steel there’s nothing chic about this trowel, but then again gardening’s not about fashion, particularly when you digging in Ohio clay. The Model 202 is the best, and works well for planting bulbs, annuals, and quart-size perennials. Great for weeding too. And speaking of which, Wilcox also makes a stainless steel dandelion digger, made for more than just dandelions.
3) AM Leonard Full-Strap Nursery Spade – For the manly gardener on your list, the weight of one of these in their hands is enough to get the testosterone flowing. Designed to survive a nuclear holocaust, these things are tough. I’ve had mine for over thirty years. Great for edging, digging, planting, dividing and just feeling all around manly.
Another one to look for is the King of Spades long-handled nursery spade. Took me a while to get used to it, but it is a workhorse. You can find these online at AM Leonard a supplier of tools to the nursery, landscape, and arboriculture industry and based in Ohio.
4) AHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants – What gardener won’t love a good garden book, and with this book from the American Horticultural Society your gift will be remembered always. Not a book that gathers dust, it’s a great reference that will continually be pulled off the shelf.
At nine pounds, the weight alone will be impressive. Inside are summaries of over 15,000 garden plants with pictures and cultural information. Included are visual glossaries and articles on different types of plants. The only problem with this volume is that they’ll want every plant they’ll see. That could fill up the garden real quick.
5) Five gallon buckets – Okay, they’re not the most glamorous of gifts, but they’re certainly practical, and though they’re no longer as readily available free of charge, they’re still an inexpensive gift. Plus even if your gardener already has some, they can always use another. I use them for weeding, fertilizing, watering, measuring, and keeping my hand sprayers from falling over.
So get going, there’s only five days left. See you out there. And if I don’t, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
