Gardening gift ideas add flavor to holidays

The weather might be unseasonably warm, but signs are everywhere of the holidays' approach. It's not too early for gardeners to start getting their shopping lists in order.

There are many gifts you can give to both your gardening and non-gardening friends that may come out of your yard, or even your computer. I typed in "gifts for gardeners" at www.google.com and came up with more than 65 pages of web listings, carrying thousands of ideas. You may want to start by narrowing your search.

If you want your gifts to be more personal, here are a few ideas:

I give many gift baskets. I pick a theme and fill and decorate the basket accordingly. It's easy if the basket is going to a gardening friend. The theme may be as simple as "Annuals." Load the basket (or bucket, or flowerpot), with a healthy, blooming, one-gallon annual. Add a laminated card explaining the care and cultivation of the plant along with other annual seeds, bloom booster (fertilizer), and a book on perennials. You can tuck in a few hand tools also. A gardener can always use a good trowel or pruner.

Once you start thinking along these lines the ideas are endless. A basket full of seed packets, books, or plant markers is useful. A book on houseplants, small hand tools and a few cuttings from your favorite plants would serve your indoor gardening friends well. Make sure to include cultivation instructions with the cuttings or plants.

You can gather seeds from the plants in your back yard. With computers and color printers it's easy to make packages for these seeds and personalize them. These "Seeds of Friendship" are very popular. It's fun to get a gift that required more thought and creativity than something ordered from a catalog.

Some themes you might try are "Compost" (include instructions for composting, a compost starter, which is a handful of soil from your compost pile, and a compost thermometer); "Florida Bulbs" (including some of the many bulbs discussed in my recent column); "Weeds Away" (herbicide, weed identification booklet, a hand trowel and a coupon good for one free hour of weeding from you); and a favorite "Oh My Aching Back" (scented candles, mug and hot chocolate or tea, and Baththerapy from GNC, which helps soothe aches and pains).

Don't let this list limit you. Think about what your gardening friends like best and tuck that into a basket. I'm always on the lookout for baskets and will pick them up at dollar stores or on sale throughout the year, so I have a variety of shapes and sizes from which to choose.

Others on your list may not be gardeners but might still enjoy the bounty from your garden. If you grow herbs it is a simple matter to freeze or dry a variety of them, place them in decorative containers and give the herbs as gifts. Both culinary and aromatic herbs are appreciated. Attach a note card with the herb names and uses.

If you're lucky enough to grow a variety of aromatic herbs, make up potpourris. These may include lavender, rose petals, fragrant flower petals, citrus peels and scented geranium leaves. Begin with thoroughly dried crispy petals and leaves. Combine with fixatives, spices and fragrant oils. These are available in craft stores. Store the mixture in a covered container for several weeks, shaking it from time to time. After the mellowing period, place the potpourri in small containers with removable lids or stuff into little cloth bags.

Herbal vinegar is also appreciated and easy to make. Cleanliness is important so sterilize the glass containers before you fill them with vinegar. Red wine, apple cider, or balsamic vinegar are good choices. Cut your fresh herbs and rinse in water. Use about one cup of fresh herbs to every two cups of vinegar. I have found attractive containers at dollar or discount stores.

Place the herbs in your sterilized containers and cover them with vinegar. Cover the jar tightly and place in a dark location at room temperature. Shake the jar every couple of days. The herbal vinegar will be ready in one to three weeks. When the taste is right, strain the vinegar (cheesecloth works well) and fill the newly cleaned and sterilized bottles with it. I like to place a sprig of fresh herb in the bottle also for aesthetic reasons and then tightly seal the bottle. Label it and include a list of recommended uses.

This should get you started.

Once you finish your gift list, start thinking about what you might want to get! If you're stumped, check out the Internet. You're sure to find something you can't live without, even if you weren't aware of its existence before you started your search.

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