Holiday gift ideas for gardeners and
landscape lovers
The Holidays are fast approaching, and no doubt there are
some garden enthusiasts on your gift list. Here are some gift ideas for all
those Green Thumbs... and some for the “horticulturally challenged” as well.
Hoping to get some garden paraphernalia yourself? Maybe you
should circle or highlight some of my suggestions and strategically place this
page as a hint for your significant other!
Garden Hose Instead of the common-or-garden variety treat
your favorite horticulture fan to something special. The biggest problem with
most hoses is that they get in a tangle and are a real nuisance to stow away
after use, even when using a reel with a crank handle.
Recently, several manufacturers introduced self-coiling
hoses that look a bit like an oversized version of that curly cable attached to
the handset of your telephone. You simply attach one end to the faucet and
stretch the hose out to the area you need to water. When you’re done, the hose
stores itself back in a neat, compact coil. A good example is the aptly-named
Anaconda brand that includes a trigger sprayer and a watering wand for about
$70.00. There is also smaller version, ideal for use in greenhouses and for
watering hang plant baskets.
Bird Feeder a new feeding station is always a welcome gift
for anyone who cares about wild birds. You can find a wide variety from basic
models at local stores to more sophisticated examples available from mail-order
catalogs or online.
To attract the very smallest birds, some feeders utilize a
fine mesh that can be filled with thistle and will thwart the beaks of larger
birds. Other models have ingenious devices to prevent squirrels devouring all
the bird seed and some come with suet cages attached to the sides to provide a
birdie buffet. Expect to pay $20.00 to $75.00, depending on the style and
quality of the feeder you select.
Briefly, if the person on your list is plagued by
mosquitoes, a bat house provides living quarters for the critters that can
consume literally thousands of skeeters every night. And it’s the mosquitoes
NOT the bats that suck your blood!
A butterfly house provides a sanctuary that will attract
these delightful creatures to the garden next summer, particularly when placed
near plants that butterflies love, such as Buddleia davidii (also known as the
Butterfly Bush).
As always, you get what you pay for. Good quality bat houses
and butterfly houses are in the $60.00 - $70.00 range, but certainly look
better and last longer than cheaper, flimsier versions.
Gardening Books It seems there is no longer a stigma
attached to the word “Dummy.” So if your loved one has no self-image issues,
consider “Landscaping for Dummies” or “Gardening for Dummies.” Both are
probably best suited to novice gardeners or new homeowners looking for some
basic advice. Available at bookstores and those online book warehouses.
Odds and Ends... You can’t go wrong with a good pair of
gardening gloves! Both the weekend warrior and the seasoned landscaper need
decent gloves to protect their hands from the thorns and splinters.
How about a magazine subscription? There are many titles to
choose from. Among the best: Gardening How-To (with step-by-step instructions),
Backyard Living (with plans for outdoor DIY projects) or Horticulture (aimed at
the serious garden enthusiast).
A garden caddy or cart is a nice gift for anyone who wants
to tote along tools, seeds, twine, gloves and everything else as they work on
their landscape projects. There are several choices out there from the simple
to the more sophisticated.
ANSWER: Hi Monica, it sounds as if you might have experienced some die back due to a late or severe freeze at some point. You should go ahead and trim out the dead wood. You will not hurt the tree just by helping it. New growth should appear, and you should also go on and fertilize to push out the new growth. Anytime that you experience this with your other plants you can follow the same procedure. Until next time….Happy Gardening!
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