GET GROWING: Tips from a local gardener
By Deb Zynomirsk
The first snowfall has come and gone and we are all eagerly awaiting the arrival of Christmas, with all its glory and splendour. Many of us have a gardener on our Christmas list, and if you’re wondering what they are wishing for, let me offer a few suggestions.
If you have someone on your list who enjoys vegetable gardening, then I would recommend a Dutch hoe ($30-$60). This tool is as versatile as it is effective. It easily penetrates the soil under weeds to make pulling them out a snap. Not the most ideal item to try to wrap, but any vegetable gardener would love to receive one!
Flower gardeners spend a lot of time trimming soft tissue stems and cutting blooms. For these avid gardeners, a Hori Hori knife would be an ideal gift ($20-$60). This tool of Japanese origins eliminates the need to squeeze clippers together, as its sharp edge cuts through stems effortlessly. In addition, the other side of the blade can act as a saw for small woody branches, and it may even include a measuring stick on the blade as well … very helpful when planting bulbs at varying depths.
Staying clean and organized is a challenge for all of us, but especially for gardeners, since the very nature of what we enjoy sees us playing in the dirt! I am constantly laying my tools down, then forgetting where I left them! So a tool storage rack is another welcome gift.
Ranging in size from a simple wall-mounted metal peg rack ($30-$50) to a large stand-up tool holder ($70), or even a small shed ($160-$300+), this item is sure to please any gardener. Knowing exactly where to find the right tool at the right time is a gift in and of itself.
Experiential gifts for gardeners are also great ideas.
How about tickets to a local specialty garden? Whistling Gardens in Wilsonville (close to Waterford) would be a thrill for any gardener to enjoy ($16). Same for a visit to the Niagara Parks Commission’s Botanical Gardens (free, although you will need to pay for metered parking), or the Butterfly Conservatory ($22).
For stocking stuffers, you can’t beat gardening gloves, liquid fertilizer, a knee mat, plant stakes, vegetable row markers, bulb planter, seeds, garden books and magazines, and bird feeders.
If you are in need of a hostess gift when visiting a gardener’s home this holiday season, a lovely houseplant or poinsettia plant will be greatly appreciated. Just make sure you protect tender plants in freezing temps while transporting them from house to car. Many of these plants are tropical in nature and will not tolerate any freezing winds or arctic air.
As we head into 2025, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
Enjoy the holidays with your loved ones and friends. Make a little merry, but not too much … please don’t drink and drive.
And join the Dunnville Horticultural Society for its January Program Night at the Optimist Hall on January 16 at 7 p.m. Speaker and light refreshments. See you there!
