By Ron Dieter, Sunnyfield Greenhouse & Gardens

December 2, 1998

It’s difficult for me to get into the Christmas shopping mood when instead of seeing my breath, I break out in a sweat as I work outdoors. But the calendar moves on regardless of the weather, and Christmas is only three weeks away. Gift shopping for gardeners is fun and easy if you are a gardener yourself, but if playing in the dirt is not your idea of a good time, you may need some help in selecting an item that will dazzle the gardener in your life. I have a few suggestions that may get you started.

Any decorative pot or planter makes a great gift. No matter that a gardener already has a collection of pots, there’s always room for one more. Look for containers that are weather tolerant and have drainage holes. Pots for outdoor use need to be at least 10 or 12 inches in diameter. Smaller sizes don’t hold enough soil and dry out quickly in the sun and wind. I prefer pots that are at least 16 inches across so I don’t have to water more than once a day. Heavy pots with broad bottoms will stay upright on windy days. Classic terra cotta pots have come a long way from the old "flower pot" style and now come in a wide array of shapes and designs. Using acrylic paints, you can even personalize the container to make a unique gift for a special friend or relative.

Decorative trellises and arbors make good gifts, too. You’ll find them in all shapes and sizes. There are wood ones and iron ones, as well as bamboo and plastic. I don’t like trellises that are narrow at the bottom. It’s almost impossible to make them sturdy and to keep them from twisting and leaning.

Other items for stocking stuffers might include gloves, hand cream, trowels, and plant tags. My wife Donna has a special hand trowel that I believe is permanently attached to her hand. It’s the Wilcox All Pro No. 251. She uses it constantly for planting and digging. It is a stainless steel one-piece construction, with straight sides, a fairly sharp point, and a soft rubber handle grip. This trowel will never break and the handle will never fall off. Although it comes in several sizes, she uses the No. 251 almost exclusively. A smaller narrower model, No.103, is the one she likes for weeding.

So far, the items I’ve mentioned are priced under twenty dollars. There are a couple other items, however, that most gardeners would love to have. One of them is the Felco #2 pruners, made in Switzerland. You’ll find these pruning shears in the back pockets of most professional landscapers and gardeners. They have a replaceable cutting blade and forged alloy handles with rubber grips. They cut correctly by shearing rather than smashing. A gardener will affectionately refer to these lifetime tools as "my Felcos". Most competing companies make shears that "look" like a Felco, so be careful when you shop. Several models are made by Felco, but the No. 2 is the one most gardeners will need and it costs about 35 to 40 dollars.

The other item is a telescopic pruning shears. Several companies make them but I prefer the model TR165 by ARS. It has a handle that telescopes from 6 to 10 feet and chrome plated bypass blades. The blade has a "cut and hold" feature for transporting trimmings and fruit to the ground. The pistol grip action is easier to operate than rope-type triggers that tangle and break. The whole thing weighs less than three pounds and costs about 100 dollars.