Are you done yet? I’m talking about Christmas shopping! Some friends of mine are Jewish and they just finished the celebration of Hanukkah. I would love to receive 8 days of garden gifts, but I’m not sure I would want to do all that shopping! If you haven’t finished your shopping yet, you better get to it. If you are looking for ideas check out our story on the site today or you can visit your local garden center.

This week we feature...

Gifts for the Gardener

If you are having a hard time buying gifts for the gardener in your life, we found some great gifts at some of the local garden centers. First, we found a digital picture frame from Smartparts. This frame will load all your favorite still pictures and some will even play videos, so you can enjoy the sights and sounds of your garden all year long. Getting a plant is also a great idea. Any gardener will love getting one. You can spice things up by getting one that is new and unusual too like a bonsai, or an orchid. Some of the smaller, inexpensive gifts include a garden themed ornament or bauble. Almost all of the garden centers now carry these cute little knick-knacks. For people who enjoy the taste of gardening you can get them an AeroGarden Pro. This is a mini hydroponic system that allows you to grow herbs, peppers or tomatoes on your kitchen countertop. We found them at Portland Nursery on Division (503-788-9000) or the Greenhouse Catalog (800-825-1925).

You can never go wrong with tools. Judy had some to share, including the latest from Leatherman. The experts in multi-purpose tools now have pruners! The ones we looked at were called the Hybrid and they fold up so they can stay in your pocket until you need them. They also have knives, saws and other accessories right in the handle! You can find them at Cornell Farm (503-292-9895), Leatherman Company or other independent garden centers. And don’t forget gloves. We found some great ones at Al’s Garden Center (503-726-1162) in Sherwood. These were West County gloves and they had some that were insulated and waterproof. Perfect for the Northwest! After you get through using those gloves don’t forget to pamper your hands. We found some great hand lotions and crèmes at Drakes 7 Dees (503-256-2223) that will help your hands heal after a long day in the soil. If it is a rainy day you can reward your gardener with a great read! Timber Press (1-800-327-5680) is a local company that specializes in garden books and they have some wonderful how-to books, including the ones we have featured recently from Tracy DiSabato-Aust on pruning and garden design.

Finally, we featured memberships in some of our local gardens. The Oregon Garden (1-877-674-2733) not only has memberships, but also features a gift shop that has pre-made gift baskets. They also offer engraved bricks at the garden and other garden treats. If you are looking for a garden closer to home, check out the Portland Classical Chinese Garden (503-228-8131). The PCCG offers membership that will also get you discounts in their gift shop, the tea house, and their plant sales. Plus, during the holidays, you can buy 15 tickets for stocking stuffers and the price is only $5 a ticket!

Winter Mulches and Compost

Believe it or not, now is the time to start thinking about your summer garden. If your garden is getting tired and needs a boost, then you should be adding garden compost now. It is also the time to add mulch to your garden to protect your plants and add nutrients to the soil. Jeff Grimm from Grimm’s Fuel (503-636-3623) showed Judy all the different mulches and composts available and the benefits of each one. You can even use some of them for erosion control. We also found out the differences between all the different barks that are available, plus if you don’t want to spend time shoveling, they can even blow it in for you.

Kindergarden – Dried Fruit Ornament

It is the holiday time and why not share the spirit with your local bird population. Myra Lukens from the Backyard Bird Shop (503-635-2044) brought some of her friends to the store and gave us a quick lesson on building dried fruit ornaments. These decorations can be used indoors, but they are really designed to feed those flyers that are trying to survive the cold. All you need is a weather resistant yarn or string, a needle (embroidery needles works great) and a variety of dried fruits and unsalted peanuts. We used cranberries, raisins, prunes, and apricots. String them together and place them on your trees outside. Hang them close to your house so you can watch the birds feed and enjoy sharing the holiday spirit.

Holiday Heritage Plant

Ever wonder why we use holly in our holiday decorating?  What is the story behind kissing under the mistletoe?  William and Judy covered the reasons why we use specific plants during the holidays.  Holly’s origins are based on both Christian and non-Christian traditions.  In one tradition, the holly protects the home from evil spirits.  In another, the holly represents the crown of thorns of Christ’s passion and its berries represent the drops of blood.  Ivy is a very misunderstood plant.  We sometimes see it growing all over trees, almost smothering them.  In the Middle Ages ivy meant prosperity, and if it died financial hard times were soon to follow.  Mistletoe has a longer history.  It has various meanings that include fertility, immortality and love.  Of course the best meaning involved kissing.  In proper English society you could not kiss your spouse-to-be in public.  During the holidays you could kiss under the mistletoe, but you had to remove a white berry every time you did.   Naturally, twigs with lots of berries were highly prized!  So next time you are decorating your home, take some time and learn some of the meanings.