Here are some gift ideas this season for the gardener or plant lover in your life. Certainly not an exhaustive list, but this is a list of some favorites from over the years.
New England Botanic Garden – How about a membership to this substantial and growing botanic garden that works hard to create reasons to visit year-round. It was recently ranked one of the best in the country. Beautiful gardens and an extensive educational program (I teach an 11 class Home Gardening Series) provide reasons to visit throughout the year for adults and kids. They just finished Gnomevemeber where they place 40 creatively designed gnomes around the gardens, and have just started their NightLightsevent through the holidays. Just outside of I 495 in Boylston, east of Worcester, it is easily accessible from Boston Suburbs.
Native Plant Trust – Garden in the Woods – A different membership to Native Plant Trust and caretaker for Garden in the Woods. This organization has been renamed from the New England Wildflower Society. They do so much to promote and protect our native plant species and environments. Beautiful gardens, amazing plants and tons of events and classes. Also accessible to Boston and suburbs with the garden based in Framingham.
Hida Tool – My favorite tool company with some special Japanese tools. My favorite Tobisho hand pruners, quality Kanenori Lopper, absolute best Hori Hori, powerful Kusakichi Ika Hoe, and a weed killing Kusakichi Nejiri Scraper. The hand pruners are made of high carbon steel, so they hold their edge and cut so much better than other pruners. If you like kitchen knives and woodworking tools, they have some of the best too. I found this place when living in San Francisco and have loved their store for decades!
Broken Arrow Nursery – Consider a gift card to this wonderful retail nursery in Connecticut that has some rare and special plants, both native and exotic. Worth a day to travel in the late Spring or early Summer or you can order plants online.
Plant Delights Nursery – Or maybe a gift card to this small, family-owned, mail-order nursery, offering unique, rare, well-grown, and properly-named perennials to passionate gardeners around the world. They are based in Raleigh, NC. Be careful because some of their plants won’t grow up here in New England in USDA zones 4-7. Also, be careful if you have a plant buying problem because you might have to raise you credit card limit!
Prairie Moon Nursery – How about a gift card to this seed supplier that is a great place to find a wide range of seeds, especially native plants. They have a great search tool to target New England plants by different criteria. Planting seeds in Fall and Spring can make a big impact in your garden, whether they are annual or perennial. They also have other garden related items and gift ideas.
Custom artwork of your garden, flowers or a beloved view – Maybe you have a special space in your garden, a perennial bed that looks amazing in June, a general view shed or space that you love, I know a couple of artists that work in different mediums that could help create a permanent reflection of your garden or vista that you love. Oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel are some options, and styles could range from realistic, impressionist, expressionist, collage and others. Reach out to me if you would like to consider working with an artist. Depending upon the project, it would involve a meeting, time in the space, and some pictures from which to create your piece. Obviously, these could not be done for this Christmas, but would be a wonderful gift that you could offer and work with the artist to create.
Garden Consultation – Excuse this self-serving appeal, an in-garden consultation, by yours truly, on any topic from pruning and garden maintenance to design and plant selection. Much of my work now is spent working with people in their gardens to teach them the skills to create and care for their gardens.
Barking Dog Gardens - Gardening in New England 