A Great Christmas Gift Idea

Nurseries and garden supply stores are great places to do Christmas shopping. Lines are usually short, parking is easy, stocking stuffers abound, and children can find inexpensive gifts such as a rain gauge or a hummingbird feeder.

Some ideas: tools of all kinds, gadgets such as thermometers that record high and low temperatures (good even for non-gardeners), soil augers, tension meters, heat cables for sprouting seeds, ornamental objects (such as bronze faucets, bird baths, and garden sculpture), houseplants, bare-root roses, fruit trees, kneeling pads, soil-test kits, and miniature greenhouses.

For a personal gift that doesn’t need wrapping, choose a sturdy basket for bringing in vegetables or flowers. Stuff it with a colorful apron, a pair of gloves, a trowel, a book or two, a few packs of seed, and a potted plant. You can even go to your local craft store and buy an inexpensive unfinished bird house for you or the kids to decorate and paint, and give the garden gift a special personal touch.