Sticks and stones and other gift ideas

When it comes to gifts, my tastes are simple. Give me a few tall sticks for my vegetable garden and I'm happy. Bring over a rock for my perennial bed and I'm ecstatic. Non-material is good, too: an hour's help with weeding, mowing or, at this time of year, shoveling, is worth more than gold. For those of you with gardeners on your holiday list, I solicited ideas from some of our area gardeners. Here are their suggestions:

Linn County Master Gardener, Devon Dietz: I have gotten a dandelion puller which is very convenient to use, no crouching and no bending.  It is a three foot tall tool which you place over the dandelion, step on the foot of the tool and then pull up with the handle.  There are tines which grasp the dandelion root so when you pull you get the dandelion and the root.

Cedar Rapids iris expert, Wanda Lunn:  I collect Christmas Ornaments, so my friends are always on the lookout for Garden-themed ornaments or decorations to give me.  My daughters have checked out decor stores for Garden Signs or big metal suns to hang on my garden fence. My hubby has been known to visit Peck's, Culver's or Fairfax to pick me up a concrete garden statue.   And there are always Garden Books... My hubby saw me trying to dig iris as I sat on the ground and found a 3 foot little garden shovel for me one Christmas. Perfect for sitting on the ground, digging in tight spaces or traveling in my trunk if I'm in a "poaching" mood!  One year, my daughter even found a Lily themed wallpaper border for my kitchen. Why reserve your garden flowers only for summer?

Deb Engmark, head gardener at Brucemore: I love books and one of my most referred to books I used in the first few years of gardening is Rodales Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. Full of everything and anything relating to gardening. I still refer to this book when stumped or when looking for inspiration.  When Don Novy retired as gardener he left his garden/ greenhouse books in our care in that collection is his copy published in 1959 with tape on the binding, clearly he used his often also.  One of my favorite gifts received from my husband for Christmas, was my tiller, boy that was a gift that kept on giving.  For those that have everything, gift cards are always appreciated who wouldn't love an excuse to head to Pecks when the opportunity arises or for a little bit out of the ordinary K & K Gardens out of Hawkeye Iowa is offering gift cards this year also. They have participated in our garden and art show for many years bringing unique plants and shrubs into the mix. Brucemore is also offering gift cards this year geared specifically for our garden events.

From a group of Linn County Master Gardeners: Master Gardener 2010 calendar, straw hats, wide brimmed, electronic moisture meter, bag balm, ergonomic tools, kneeling bench, bionic garden gloves with additional padding for thumbs, fingers, and palms, made with calf's leather(ergonomic), double knee cushions.

Daylily expert and master gardener, Zora Ronan, added these ideas: My favorite garden tool is the 'Cobra Head' weeder and cultivator.  It is around 20.00 and easily found on Amazon and some gardening magazines.  It is the best weeder I have found: strong, easy to use, well-balanced, bright blue handle.  I have never broken a cobra head but do seem to lose them.

A subscription to 'Fine Gardening' magazine would be a good gift.  'Fine Gardening' has great design ideas and they know that some of us live in the frigid north, not the balmy northwest.  This is the only gardening magazine to which I subscribe.

Fine Gardening Magazine has a book that just came out called 'Container Gardening--250 Design Ideas & Step-By-Step Techniques'.  It is just wonderful, full of ideas and is around 20.00.  Barnes & Nobel has it as well as Amazon.  On page 225 is Karmin Mullins' award-winning container.  Karmin is a Linn County Master Gardener and about 5 years ago she won first place in the 'Fine Gardening' magazine annual container contest.  It is a treat to see her container in a book.

Click through the following, provided by Linn County Master Gardener, Becki Lynch, for more gift ideas:

Involve Dec - Gifts for Gardeners

12 Days of Christmas Clue #1 – “Homegrown”