Brian Minter: 12 of the best gifts for the gardeners on your list

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It’s that time of the year again when many of us are looking for some cool gift ideas for the gardeners in our lives. Llet’s start with some great plant options.

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• If your gardener is blessed with culinary skills, Proven Winners have introduced a rose with edible blooms that just might be a hit. Flavorette Pear’d and Flavorette Honey-Apricot are two beautiful, hardy roses with a light perfume, and they have been bred to be used in baking, salads, desserts and beverages, adding some sophisticated new flavours.

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• Bay laurels (Laurus nobilis) are my favourites because of their flavourful leaves and spectacular garden form. Rosemary topiaries can enhance many culinary dishes on a daily basis. If someone has only a small outside space, an espaliered fruit tree, grafted with three or more varieties, can make a nice privacy screen, and all it needs is summer sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to produce abundantly.

• For anyone living in a Zone 7 area, a winter-flowering Camellia sasanqua would make a wonderful gift, not only because it flowers all winter but also for the pollen and nectar it provides for both Anna’s hummingbirds and winter bees that venture out. Some of my other winter favourites are winter-flowering helleborus (Christmas rose), winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) and Viburnum Pink Dawn — its pink flowers are a delight all winter.

• Turning indoors, unique houseplants are some of the most sought-after tropicals. Hoyas, especially some of the newer varieties, are in demand. The rich, black Zamioculcas Raven, and Pothos Cebu Blue, along with its white cousin, P. Alba, are all creating excitement. White Wizard, a white striped philodendron, is a hottie. Birkin, another philodendron, is as uniquely beautiful as its cousin, Monstera adansonii.

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• As age catches up with many older gardeners, there are a few things that can help. Garden kneelers and kneeling pads assist when getting up or down to plant or weed. Raised planters with legs make a thoughtful gift because they can be planted, watered and fed without having to bend over. Hiring a garden service to plant and maintain the garden can allow seniors to still enjoy their gardens for longer.

• Gardening books and magazines also make great presents. You may have to shop online, but most stores that sell magazines have a good selection of garden titles as well. A few stores are able to get some British garden magazines, such as the BBC garden magazine.

• To bring wildlife into someone’s garden, there are several considerations. Mason bee homes have become very important, as are bird nesting boxes. Bat houses are available and more important than ever. Hummingbird feeders are also helpful for supporting our winter Anna’s hummingbirds. However, be cautious with bird feeders, especially in the Fraser Valley with the serious avian bird flu situation.

• Battery-operated power pruners, hedge trimmers and pruning shears have become popular, especially for folks with some form of disability. Einhell and other companies now offer a full line of quality, easy-to-use home garden products that are environmentally friendly. Swiss-made Felco shears are back on the market, and they are one of the world’s best. There are other great brands of shears, including Corona, that any gardener would appreciate. Check your local garden store for these products.

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• Something as practical as a good pair of gardening gloves is always appreciated. The Watson Gloves line offers a range of quality gloves. They are better sized for a great fit, are more comfortable to use and do a better job of protecting a gardener’s hands.

• One feature often missing in a garden is a bench — or even better, one or two comfortable all-weather chairs. For gardeners, being able to sit among the colour, fragrance and beauty of their garden is a real treat, as opposed to seeing it from a distance.

• Garden art has become an integral part of today’s gardens. Beautiful pergolas, arbours and enclosed metal benches add so much class to any size of garden. Gazing balls, wrought iron art works and garden antiques are also wonderful additions. Most gardeners would enjoy receiving tickets to the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival in Seattle in February as it would be an opportunity to see some truly amazing garden art.

• Small greenhouses and accessories, as well as cold frames, are becoming important, especially for younger folks. Maximum and minimum thermometers, high quality watering cans and heating cables for starting seeds and cuttings would be welcome gifts, especially for anyone keen to start their own plants.

These are just a few gift ideas for the gardeners that you hang out with. Gardeners are an appreciative lot, and all these ideas have merit. If you’re not sure what they would like most, a gift certificate from their favourite garden store would always be valued.

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