My spouse is an avid gardener, and I would like to get them something for Christmas they can use in the garden. Any suggestions? JP

Good question. Shopping for gardeners can sometimes be difficult because we tend to be picky about our garden tools but here are some gift ideas I think most gardeners would enjoy.

Compost Bin

If you’ve read any of the stats concerning how much food we throw away, it’s kind of unsettling. In addition, research suggests 15 to 25 percent of community waste is made up of yard trimmings and grass clippings. One thing you and your gardener can do together is to start composting. Composting is a great way to re-purpose kitchen and lawn waste into a nutrient rich soil supplement. There are a lot of ways to compost. You can utilize a trash can with appropriate ventilation holes, holding units made from wood, concrete blocks, wire, or any of the commercially available units that let you turn the compost by turning the container. Either way, small composting container is a good way to test the composting waters. We have a fact sheet on Backyard Composting in the Lawn and Garden Help section of our website (www.tulsamastergardeners.org).

Something to Read

If you are thinking something along the lines of a book, how about Oklahoma Native Plants by Connie Scothorn and Brian Patric. Both Connie and Brian are landscape architects in Oklahoma. This book springs from their desire to introduce cities, designers, and homeowners to the joys and benefits of utilizing native plants in the landscape. I found this book to be both a good introduction for those wanting to lean more toward native plants in their landscape as well as a good reference for seasoned gardeners where they might find some plants for their garden.

New Gloves

Gloves can be tricky. As gardeners we probably have our favorite gloves that we have had for years and when they wear out, we tend to keep using them. For me, it was my leather gloves with holes in all the wrong places. Recently, my wife got me a pair of those newer style gloves with the silicone on the palms and they are now my favorite gloves. They fit my hand, have elastic around the wrist to keep dirt from working its way inside the glove, and even have what I guess is a piece of leather on the index finger tip so that I can use my phone in the garden without having to take my gloves off. These gloves aren’t very expensive and who knows, you just might be giving someone their new favorite gloves.

Trowels

We are all familiar with the standard garden trowel. They have straight handles that attach to a small, metal, digging blade. I am guessing every gardener has at least one. Seems like a no-brainer. However, once again my wife gave me an ergonomic garden trowel. Let me see if I can explain what that is. Imagine if you took the standard trowel handle, made it a little longer, and then bent it into a semi-circle. Kind of hard to imagine, but this modification allows you to hold the trowel differently, being able to use the full force of your palm against the trowel to dig rather than holding on to a straight handle. It’s a more effective use of energy if you will. And it’s not just the trowel that is available in this configuration, there are a variety of other hand digging tools as well. While these may be available in a garden center, I know you can get them online. Just search for Ergonomic Garden Trowel.

Rake

A good rake is a trusted companion in the landscape. Like many of you, I have several rakes of differing sizes. Some rakes provide me with a wide swath and others that are narrower to be able to get in between plants without harming them. In my mind I had the rakes covered. But in what now is a trend if you have noticed, my wife gave me a rake several years ago called the Amazing Rake. I mean, how amazing can a rake be… right? Well, this one is pretty darn cool and again I will do my best to try and describe it. The Amazing Rake functions like a normal wake with one big difference. It has another portion of the rake that is connected to a lever that comes down like a claw so you can pick up leaves etc. with the rake. It’s a one tool solution to my least favorite task in the garden, using two rakes or something else to pick up the raked lawn debris. For me, repeated bending over shortens the time I am able to spend out in the garden. The extra energy and just the up and down seem to tire me out faster, so this one is great. Again, I haven’t seen these locally, but you can find one by searching for the Amazing Rake.

So, these are a few gift selections to help get you started finding that special gift for the gardener in your life. See you in the garden!

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo: Oklahoma State University Agricultural Communications Services