Though winter marches on, many gardeners are already perusing seed catalogs and planning spring plantings. Whether a novice or master gardener, it’s fun to support your pals with a Yuletide gift for their green-thumbed hobby. If you’re a gardener or giving a present to a gardener, here are some of my favorites to inspire your own gift-giving. You can find most of these items in the $10–40 price range, so they’re both practical and affordable.
Best Garden Clippers: Zenport Trimmer QZ 142
The best garden clippers I own are made to trim goat hooves. I accidentally bought an extra pair early in my goat ownership, and decided to put the unused clippers to work in the garden. If they can handle tough hooves, I thought, they can probably handle woody stems. These clippers spring back open after a snip and can withstand plenty of rain, dirt and abuse. They don’t last forever, but you should be able to get a year or two of heavy use out of them. Other clippers tend to feel too light, too heavy or the spring seems to fall out almost immediately upon use. And if they can’t get wet, rolled around in the mud and stepped on, what’s even the point of calling it a garden tool?
Best Gardening Boots: Servus Rubber Boots
I’ve torn through a mountain of work boots in soggy conditions, and these are by far the most comfortable fit and longest lasting. With everyday wear, they will last about two years. Servus sells men’s and women’s sizes that run true, so it’s not a guessing game of what will fit. Got a lady size 10 foot? It’ll probably be most comfortable in a woman’s size 10 boot. Once holes start appearing, I chop the tops of the boots off and wear them as a sort of summer-time home-made Croc. These boots don’t come in pink or a fashionable print, but they keep my piggies drier longer than any cute boot I’ve worn.
Best Bet for Real Plants: Daffodil Bulbs
Want to skip from tools straight to something the gardener in your life can plant? Orchids and amaryllis look beautiful, but it’s hard to wrap them up and stuff them under the tree. You can do that with daffodil bulbs. Daffodils are the official flower of the Classic City, and January is a good time to plant them. Bulbs work well for friends with large yards or friends with a smaller, potted porch garden. There’s plenty of fancy, funky daffodils to have some fun finding the perfect fit for your giftee. The only caveat here is to wrap the bulbs in something breathable. Paper or cloth bags work well, but plastic Christmas wrap does not. Bulbs can rot without some air exchange.
Best Book: Good Bug, Bad Bug by Jessica Walliser
I read (and love) a lot of gardening books. This one, I pull off the shelf every winter when I start planning my beneficial insect garden. I use my garden journal entries to identify problematic pests and then pick the flowers and planting plans most likely to attract their insect predators. Some of the advice to attract beneficial insects is general: Establish a wide variety of perennials. Other advice is super-specific: I should transplant the lavender and thyme into the main garden to entice spider mite-chomping damselflies. Following this book’s advice, I’ve managed to attract parasitic wasps who, in turn, keep the hornworms from demolishing my summer tomato plants. Well worth it for gardeners who complain about pests, but want to avoid chemical-spray solutions.
The Gift I Want: Japanese Hoe Trowel
A friend working part-time on landscape design showed me her tool kit, and I wanted to steal this trowel out of it. The handle sits 90 degrees from the blade, making it possible to spread downward pressure throughout the whole hand. My current trowel (blade and handle in-line) tends to leave quarter-sized blisters on my palm after transplanting a row of bok choy. Maybe I add an extra trowel twist because of the clay soil I work with? Maybe my current trowel (or grip) isn’t ergonomic enough? Whatever the reason, I’m ready to try this tool and leave holes in the ground, not my hand.
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