Christmas Gift ideas

Tis the season, and once again I’ll be devoting this column to last-minute gift ideas for the gardener in your life.

I take my inspiration from the gift-trading game played at the annual Christmas party celebrated by the Owosso Garden Club.

In advance of the gathering, garden club members decorate our meeting place with a fabulous fresh cut tree from Nash Nurseries, which we adorn with dozens of handmade angels. Ribbons and fresh cut evergreen accent the rest of the room.  The party starts with the expected socializing and eating, followed by an entertaining gift exchange. We draw numbers and open gifts in turn, with the choice of opening a new package from under the tree or taking another person’s opened gift, until everyone finally has (and keeps!) a prize. An hour or so of observing this behavior gives some great insight into favored gifts for the gardener.

Tools are both practical and appreciated, though this year I noticed just one in the exchange. A pair of good pruning shears was well-received. Most garden centers and hardware stores carry some pruners and gloves year-round, so these make good last-minute gifts. Larger tools are also appreciated by the serious gardener, such as a sturdy shovel with an unbreakable handle, electric hedge trimmers, and specialized weeders or hoes that can be deftly wielded around perennials.

Birds add a lively dimension to the garden, and this year bird feeders were a seriously traded item. A suet feeder with seed-infused suet cakes is a favorite for winter-feeding birds, and is my personal preference because, unlike loose-seed feeders, I have little trouble with uneaten seed getting scattered and sprouting in the garden. Black oiler sunflower seeds are another good choice, as they are favored by a wide assortment of interesting birds. Nectar-feeders for hummingbirds and orioles help to bring these delightful creatures where they can be appreciated up close—during the growing season, of course. Baltimore orioles will also feed on orange halves, especially during nesting, and one club member was fortunate to receive a device designed to hold the oranges.

Bird houses are another decorative garden feature, and also bring nesting birds where they can be observed and enjoyed.

Garden art is always a popular item in the club’s gift exchange, and this year was no exception. Once again, stylized animal-shaped watering cans were among the most-traded. A tin pig was exchanged until someone had received it three times and it was retired from the exchange. A similar fate was had by a round, sassy orange cat—and even when a second, identical cat was opened from under the tree, both circulated until they were retired.

A tin rooster planter also made the rounds, as did a gnome that appeared to be carved from a tree stump. Very popular was a large moose statue, with a spot for birdseed on its antlers, looking over its shoulder at a cardinal resting on its back. 

Garden lighting is less-often exchanged, but this year a pair of large glass candle lanterns was very popular. Other items included a garden-themed calendar, decorative stepping stone, gardening book, honey and bee’s-wax candles, and matching snail and turtle statues.

A quick, easy last-minute idea is a gift card for the greenhouse, garden center or other favorite haunt of the gardener on your Christmas list. And if you’ve run out of time, energy, and shopping days, consider creating a custom gift card on the computer or with old-fashioned pen and paper. Offer help with spring cleanup, heavy tasks or offer to sponsor a spring shopping trip.

Relax, and have a very merry Christmas.