Remember the gardener on Christmas
That gardener on your Christmas list still got you stumped? It can be hard to find them things when the garage is already stuffed with tools and you can’t even pronounce the name of that must-have plant.
No worries, mate, here are some ideas from a gardener whose family has the same problem.
Gloves. You can never have too many pairs of gloves. They get wet, lost or buried in the ground or tool bucket very quickly. My favorites at the moment are the Atlas gloves. These are a knit glove with the palm and bottom of the fingers covered in a flexible rubber. I like these because they have no seams in the fingers and palms to create blisters. The knit fabric breathes nicely so they are comfortable in all but the hottest weather. The rubberized palm will keep the gloves from getting too wet, and are flexible enough to let you feel what you are doing. Best of all they are CHEAP – about $5 a pair. They even have a winter version with a little extra insulation. Look for them at any hardware store.
Winter Entertainment. With snow on the ground earlier than we’ve seen in a while, your gardener is going to get antsy soon after the New Year. Provide some winter entertainment by buying a big bag of black oil sunflower seeds, a bird feeder or two (or three – you can never have enough feeders) and a good bird identification book. Black oil sunflower seeds are universally favored seed by most of our wintering birds, as well as squirrels and even deer. The seed might run $5 for a small size up to about $15 for a 50-pound bag. Feeders can run $20 and up, while books, of which there are a dozen good ones for this area, can run up to $40-50. Most hardware, farm supply and garden stores carry the feeders and seed while the bookstores will have the books.
Garden Journal. Many gardeners appreciate a way to keep track of the goings-on in their garden. A journal with lots of space for keeping notes on temperatures, planting records, to-do lists and in general observations of goings on in the garden through the year is a great idea. Kept over several years, they become a record of the history of the garden. Check out the Garden Journal produced by the WSU-Spokane County Master Gardeners. This 170-page journal has weekly, monthly and a year calendar to help plan and record the gardening year plus lists of to-dos for the seasons, helpful tips, articles about gardening subjects and recipes for using your garden produce. It is available for $16, plus tax at Northwest Seed and Pet (East Sprague store), Borders Books, Aunties Books and Plantland Nursery. It is also available for direct purchase and mail order at the Spokane County Cooperative Extension Office, 222 N. Havana St. Add an additional $1.36 for tax and $2.50 shipping for mail order. Checks and cash only. Call (509) 477-2048 for more information.
Hand lotions. For most serious gardeners I know, dirt under the fingernails and a little rough skin are to be expected. To the right people it is even a badge of honor. However, there comes a point when a good hand lotion is needed and it can’t be a wimpy, watery cream that disappears with the first wipe of a glove or get slippery on a tool handle. After much experimenting, I have found two that work well. The first is the Gardener’s Hand Therapy put out by Crabtree and Evelyn. This has a nice smooth texture that works into the hand nicely and then dries to a smooth coating that doesn’t get slippery when it gets wet. It stays on for quite awhile so my hands have a chance to benefit from it even when I am busy in the garden. A 3.4-ounce tube runs about $15. When my hands really get battered by garden work, I sometimes have to bring out the heavy guns and reach for the Bag Balm. This lanolin-rich salve is a bit greasy but coats your hands with a protective coat that lasts a while. It has an anti-bacterial agent in it that helps those tiny cuts we all get digging. It can be found at farm and garden supply stores for around $5 or $6. The “bag” part of the name refers to its traditional use as a salve to keep cow udders soft for milking. Don’t knock it until you try it.