Great Gifts for Gardeners

Do you have a gardener on your list and have no clue what to buy. Maybe you are the gardner and need to give a few hints to someone who otherwise will buy you a vacuum cleaner! I sort of fall into that last category. Actually, Bill is pretty good with the artsy crafty gifts but is at a loss for the gardener stuff.

I did a little research and here are some terrific things I found.








 From Charlies Greenhouse this Jump Start Propagator System: Only $24.95. Perfect for starting those tomatoes for next year.









Speaking of tomatoes what about filling a stocking with Heirloom tomato and veggie seeds from Amishland Heirloom Seeds. Black Krim is one of my favorites.





What about my favorite hot pepper - Fish Peppers - not only do they taste good but they are pretty too. I found these seeds at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

     Look at this cool garden hose container I found at Wal-Mart priced at only $28.35!   I've seen similar ones for over a hundred dollars!

Look at this pretty little Rosemary Tree that comes with a cookbook. It's from FTD so it will arrive right at the door! Book and tree for $34.99.







For the ultimate garden Gift ask for this wonderful Greenhouse from my buddies at Morton Horticultural Supply. It is what I bought 3 years ago and they delivered it and set it up right in my backyard - included in the price! Of course, where you live might be a problem for this one. I am only about 90 miles from their front door.

  



 Maybe you can pass this blog post on to your significant other or you just might want to take your Christmas money and spend it on one of these goodies. I think I'm going to buy myself that hose container. :-)

 

Merry Christmas everyone! Remember it's Christ's coming to redeem us that we are celebrating. Take some time to reflect on all the blessings you have received and help someone else to know the joy of Christmas too.

        

Make a Natural Holiday Simmering Potpourri for Yourself or as a Gift

Do you remember making Cloved oranges as a kid? We poked cloves into fresh oranges  - usually in pretty designs but they are OK just where ever you want them as long as you put quite a few cloves. I did them and allowed the oranges to dry. They actually lasted quite a while in a pretty bowl. I arranged them above with pine cones and Fresh Rosemary.

Natural Potpourri Simmer

 Using the same idea, you can peel an orange (eat the orange or use it for juice), Dry the peel. I dried mine in the oven set on it's lowest setting. Check them often to be sure they don't burn. Break the orange peels in to small pieces, add  whole cloves, cinnamon stick pieces, whole allspice, dried apple slices and berries from a cedar tree. This last one is optional but it makes a really festive holiday fragrance. If you live near a woods where cedar grows the female trees are loaded with blue berries in the fall! . To make the house smell like Christmas simmer a couple tablespoons of the mix in a small pan of water on the stove Be sure to check often so it doesn't boil dry. I wonder if you can still find those potpourri simmering pots like I had several years ago. Not only does this smell delicious but will add humidity to the house and the essential oils are good to breath too. Package this up in little jelly jars or small bags for a nice little gift also.

My Newest Favorite Gardening Book

David Culp has been lecturing, writing and speaking about gardening for at least 15 years. I first heard about David from his sister who worked with me at Nashville Wraps. I saw him on a Martha Steward TV show and I fell in love with Hellebores because of David. He is famous for his Brandywine Hybrid strain of Hellebores. The one in this picture blooms in my shade garden every February. I was fortunate enough to meet David a couple of years ago when he came to Nashville to visit his family. He is as personable as he is knowledgeable.


David has written a new book called The Layered Garden.
It is all about how to have color, texture,

blooms and more in all seasons of the year. I am using it as a reference for a new section of sunny garden in my own yard. I highly recommend this book for gardeners experienced or not. It is full of helpful information and David's fun personality comes through in his stories of growing up with gardening grandmas and mother who gave him the freedom to play in the dirt! It is beautifully photographed by Rob Cardillo - truly a feast for the eyes as you can see from this picture of the inside of my book.

David's web site is http://www.davidlculp.com/ you can purchase the book there. I promise The Layered Garden will become one of your favorite reference books! It would be a much appreciated gift for any gardener on your list too.

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Make Bath Salts from Your Rose Petals

 

 

 

May and June are the months that our roses are at their peak of bloom. I always hate to see all those beautiful fragrant petals go to waste. How timely it was for me to receive this recipe for Rose petal bath salts in the mail today. I'll pass it along to you as well as my recipe for rose petal potpourri.

 

For bath salts you will need to mix  1/2 cup each Epsom Salt and sea salt with one tablespoon rose petals (or more if you like) and two drops of rose oil or lavender oil - optional but it will smell yummy. Add all this to a big tub of warm water for a relaxing soak. I'm going to make four times this recipe and store in a container. That way I'll have plenty for long tub soaks after a day of working in the garden. 

Rose and Lavender Potpourri

For a pretty as well as fragrant potpourri, use two cups dried rose petals, 2 cups dried lavender (leaves and flowers) and one tablespoon Orris Root powder. The Orris Root fixes the fragrance so it doesn't fade away as quickly. Mix all ingredients together in a glass or stainless steel bowl and store for a few days in a container with a tight fitting lid until all fragrances are blended. Put into a pretty bowl or make little sheer bags of it to place in closets or give to friends, Hint: dry your rose petals and lavender together in an open container to blend the fragrance even more.