Holiday gifts for gardeners

- By Patricia Hanbidge

December 10, 2025

key points from this story:

• End-of-year tasks for tidy gardens
• Clean and oil tools before spring
• Maintain sharp, ready pruning gear
• Indoor herb gardens beat winter blues
• Use grow lights to boost houseplants
• Books and tools make ideal gifts

Ho ho ho - it is my favourite time of year! From one fellow gardener to another, I can think of endless gifts to bring to those gardeners who have been good all year long.

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Gardeners who have been good, put the garden to bed before the snow arrived. Part of that chore was to ensure that all were well watered prior to freeze up and of course any late blooming weeds were removed.

The best gardeners have hung up all their tools clean and shiny. They have cleaned off any soil that might be still hanging around and lightly oiled the working parts and of course those wooden handles as well. Keeping the handles lightly sanded if they are worn and then oiled will ensure in the spring that those tender garden hands do not get slivers.

All those other handy gardening tools like secateurs should be cleaned, sharpened and oiled. We often have nice warm spells in early spring where it is the perfect time to tidy up our woody ornamentals with a bit of pruning. Have your tools ready for action once the weather warms.

Gardeners whom I love to gift make that transition from the outside garden to the inside garden with grace. I know one fine gardener on my favourite list has hung grow lights in her house where she merrily grows fresh herbs. These favourites of chefs will not only keep your fingers "in the dirt" but will also help to prepare fabulous meals - even in the heart of winter. The scent that fills the air at watering time warms my cockles just dreaming of spring and getting out into the garden with my Mrs. Claus. You know that growing any little thing will help to keep away those winter blues!

Winter is hard on us all - and for sure it is hard on all your houseplants. Take pity on them and give them a bit extra help to make it through the winter and rotate them through an area where you have conveniently placed a grow light. The light in our homes in the winter has no real intensity at all at this time of year. Combined with the dry air of winter, this low light does stress your plants and leads to ill health. Spider mite infestations are prevalent so watch your plants for tiny webs and a general look of not robust health. For me, I need to put on my reading glasses to see the signs of these little critters in a well-lighted area!

For those good gardeners, gifts are a plenty. Think of useful things that make gardening easier or better. Quality secateurs are always appreciated. An upgrade to grow lights is always appreciated as we never seem to have enough. Last but not least, books and more books and more books to give us appreciation of new ideas that can make our gardens even more beautiful and productive.