HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FOR OUTDOOR GARDENERS

Gardeners who favor the outdoors encounter their own set of challenges. For them, it’s especially important to have the right tool for the job. I have arthritis, and need some leverage when it comes to my limited hand strength. Several of these holiday gift ideas for the gardeners in you life are products that make gardening easier. Who doesn’t want that?

1. Centurion Multi-gear 2x Telescopic By-pass Lopper. Is it wrong to be in love with a lopper? I thought my garden helper was going to “accidentally” take it home after spending the afternoon singing its praises. The lopper is on the weighty side, but I don’t mind because it can cut branches up to 1 3/4” in diameter!
2. Fiskars 36 Inch Long-Handle Swivel Grass Shears make light work of trimming ground-level plants. This tool can be used one-handed. It’s great for small jobs and edging.
3. Root Slayer Shovel by Radius Garden, a great brand for a set of very good tools, I have all three members of the “slayer” family and find the shovel especially helpful in getting through dry, hard ground.
4. Aerocart 8-in-1 Wheelbarrow / Yard Cart / Dolly. I bought this for my husband to help him move large pots indoors for the winter. I also use it to move heavy bags of soil around the garden. It’s handy for gathering garden debris, and then wheeling it to the curb for pick up.

Aerocart-Environment-Flower-Mover (photo courtesy of WORX)

5. Fiskars 30 Gallon Kangaroo Gardening Bag. This is another go-to item for filling with lightweight debris, including leaves that can be   carried to the curb for organic waste pickup.

6. Mobile Tool Storage Caddy is a wonderful back and time saver, with room for a 5-gallon bucket for holding tools. I use it to reduce clutter on my patio, which is where my shovels, trowels, and everything else end up.

Mobile Tool Storage Caddy (photo courtesy of Gardener’s Supply Company)

7. Ginkgo: The Tree That Time Forgot. Easily one of my husband’s favorite books, it tells the fascinating story of this ancient tree, and how arboretums and public gardens work to save this and other nearly-extinct trees.