Gifts for the Gardener in Your Life

Post by Mike McNulty, Broomfield Master Gardener

Winter officially begins December 21st, but procrastinating gardeners are not yet thinking about presents. They’re still frantically attacking last-minute chores like clean-up, or wrapping young trees (especially redbuds, maples and fruit trees!). Through the cold and snow, the die-hard gardener will be thinking about the upcoming growing season via seed catalogs and PlantSelect® brochures. If you’re looking for a thoughtful gift for the gardener in your life, consider these garden essentials:

Gardeners are almost universally in need of another pair of gardening gloves by season’s end.  Most gardeners also spend a fair amount of time kneeling in the garden, so a set of knee pads or a kneeling board would be deeply appreciated.

As gardening tools go, pruners may be the most essential.  Look for ergonomic designs, and make sure to choose the right tool for the job. The best pruners for green stems are bypass pruners that act like scissors and reduce plant damage.  For precision jobs like harvesting tomatoes or deadheading flowers, use micro tip pruning snips.  A set of bypass loppers are a good bet for larger stems and limbs, and a pruning saw is useful for almost any trimming of woody plants.

Clockwise from top left:

Pruning saw, Hori Hori knife (garden knife), bypass pruners, micro-tip pruning snips.

A personal favorite with amazing versatility is the garden knife, also called a Hori Hori knife.  Hori Hori means “dig dig” in Japanese, and it’s fun to say!  The notched blade is perfect for weeding; use the serrated edge to cut sod, divide perennials or trim root balls; the smooth edge is great for opening bags of mulch or fertilizer and often has measurements for planting depth.

When in doubt, you can always leave the decision-making to the gardener with a gift certificate from their favorite garden or nursery center. Happy holidays!