We are deep into the holiday season, and it has been a bizarre season largely in lock-down. For years I have gotten questions about great gift ideas for gardeners and the garden, so here is a list of some not so typical ideas. There will be no fur-lined waterproof clogs, monogrammed leather gardening aprons or self-sharpening extendable tree saws.
Enjoy!
Wouldn’t it be great to have your own honey(with your private label), that comes from bees living on your property and feeding off of your beautiful gardens. Best Bees is a company that started here in Boston and has branched out to a number of cities. Noah Wilson-Rich created a business to professionally install and manage beehives and contribute to scientific research on bees and the challenges they face. You can get as involved as you want in the care of your hive and responsibly reap the sweet rewards of your Bees’ hard work, or you can let Best Bees do all the work. The tame honey bee is not aggressive, compared to many of the wasps and hornets that bother us, and they can live harmoniously with you in your urban, suburban or rural garden. This is a special gift with a great reward.
This Berkeley California company specializes in Japanese tools for the garden, kitchen and workshop. Beautifully crafted blades, tools and many other gifts are available on this site. Whether you need a stunning steel Santoku knife with a Magnolia handle to cut up your vegetables or some new high-quality carbon steel hand pruners, you will find some real quality tools at Hida. I found this store while living in California in the 90s, and they have a devoted following as their online store has grown. My last order from them was shipped in a re-used box from a Japanese Tofu brand. Very authentic!
Maybe you want something beautiful in your garden that doesn’t require watering, fertilization, pruning, deadheading, weeding… sorry I got a little carried away. Whitmore Boogaerts is a talented artist and creator in Providence, RI who has been creating special pieces for the home and garden for several decades. He can also create commissioned pieces if you have your own idea. Sometimes a garden or bed can come together with a structural or artistic element. I first met Whit over 30 years ago, and he has created some stunning work with an eclectic aesthetic. Say that five times.
Netatmo –
Gardening isn’t all about getting dirty, sometimes it is about science and data and the weather. Netatmo has a cool system of weather products for indoor and outdoor measurements, as well as wind and rain gauges. They are all bluetooth enabled and you can read measurements and data on your phone or computer. You also have access to other stations around the world and local weather and rain forecasting. For a reasonable price you can have all the information you need at your finger tips. I use this system to compile my detailed weather data for the newsletter. You will always have the answer to how much rain has fallen this week, month and year.
Last, but not least, how about something classic or old or with real gravitas. New England Garden Company out in Sudbury, MA has an impressive and constantly changing inventory of antique and replica garden ornamentation. From large fountains and statuary to more modest armillary and stone troughs, and they also have benches, sundials, birdbaths, urns, planters, millstones, and ‘odds and ends’ as they describe. While you might think they supply only for formal and designed gardens, there are lots of wonderful ideas for any garden. Be forewarned there is enough stone and lead on the property that it should all sink into the ground. An absolutely wonderful place to visit. It started out on a farm property several decades ago in central MA, but now resides in the western suburbs of Boston.
I hope this provides you some fun, not ordinary, ideas to give to the gardener in your life. Maybe that gardener is you!
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and best wishes to everyone this season. Let’s put this year behind us and live in the hope of 2021!
Barking Dog Gardens - Gardening in New England 