Well, we are down to the wire here for gift ideas for the gardeners in your family. Many garden tools that a gardener finds useful will need to be bought by the gardener, but there are some tools that it seems every gardener lacks that they could use. There are also some supplies that are very useful but get used up, so restocking the gardener’s supplies can be very helpful.
You won’t believe how useful a magnifying glass is until you start carrying one around. A folding 10x jeweler’s loupe fits in your pocket and costs about 10 dollars. It is especially useful for getting splinters out. Gardeners will use it to identify small insects like aphids and spider mites. Plus, there are many very tiny flowers that go unnoticed until you have a magnifying glass with you.
You wouldn’t believe how many gardeners are using tools that need to be sharpened. The Byers All-in-1 Pruner, Knife, and Tool Sharpener can be used to sharpen pruners, loppers, shears, knives, axes, hatchets, mower blades, multitools, scissors and any other single- or double-edged tool.
Remember, sharp tools are safer because they don’t have to be forced with too much effort.
The DP Industries aptly named Garden Marker is a permanent marker that lasts outdoors for several years in sunshine’s UV rays. I have tested this marker on plant tags with other types of markers and this one lasts the longest.
Most garden kneeling pads are too thin for comfort on the rocks and roots in the garden where I need them the most. The Gorilla Grip kneeling pad is 1.5 inches thick. It doesn’t compress like the other kneeling pads.
The following supply items can all be found at your local garden center. They are things that gardeners need but run out of. They can be put into a basket or bucket that will also be part of the gift.
No. 1: Gardeners need plant labels; plastic lasts longer than wood but isn’t biodegradable.
No. 2: Spools of string: Nylon mason string in bright colors or jute twine in brown or green.
No. 3: Cloth gloves: Even though heavy-duty gloves are great, I can use several pairs of cloth gloves in one day. As they get wet, I toss them into a sunny spot to dry and grab another pair.
No. 4: Soft and stretchy plant ties: Velcro makes great reusable rolls of tape that can be cut to any length. Non-adhesive half-inch wide stretch tape is great for holding tomato stems to stakes. Slim Soft-Tie has a thin galvanized steel wire wrapped in soft green rubber, so it is very strong and soft at the same time.
All gardeners like to look at other people’s gardens and public gardens for inspiration. Give a subscription to the local gardening magazine; for the East Coast of the U.S., the Washington Gardener magazine is an excellent choice. Every area of the country has botanical gardens, so give a membership to the closest one. In many cases, the membership will allow entry into other botanical gardens across the country.
An excellent book choice for anyone that likes plants is my Greener View Gardening book. Find out more at Greenerview.com and don’t forget to go to the Greener View YouTube channel and subscribe for free.
If all else fails, a gift certificate to the local garden center will be very nice this spring. Gift certificates are great for the hard-to-please gardener.
