GREAT GIFTS FOR GARDENERS

December 16, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

By Kathy Van Mullekom

Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)

You’re making your gift list and checking it twice, and discover there’s a gardener that Santa needs to remember.

Fret not. Gardeners are, by far, the easiest people to please because there are so many gifts that appeal to their appreciation for all things natural and nice.

terrariums

For a trendy and timely treat, check out terrariums, which are surging in popularity again. These small gardens under glass are part of the landscapes in miniature craze that includes the look of fairy gardens with to-scale gnomes, elves and Tinkerbell-like girls with angelic faces and wispy wings. You’ll find them at garden centers nationwide and numerous online sites.

Floral Heirloom Ornaments

McDonald Garden Center’s heirloom ornament collection (above) features the flowers of Christmas — cyclamen, hydrangea, citrus, hellebore, orchid and poinsettia — giving your tree a garden look. $19 at www.mcdonaldgardencenter.com.

Bird Beneficial

Have your coffee and help save the birds with Birds & Beans Coffee, a gift that supports organic, shade-grown coffee farms that give shelter and sustenance to more than 60 species of migratory birds. $11.70 and up through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Gifts at www.birds.cornell.edu/birdgifts.

Phoenician Vase

Tuck fresh-cut flowers from your garden or a small candle into this swirling-color Phoenician Coast vase (above) that’s hand blown by artisans of Herbron Glass and Ceramic Factory, a West Bank-family business founded in 1890. Vase is 8 inches tall. $68, Ten Thousand Villages, a fair trade retailer that sells products to help support artisans in developing countries, at www.tenthousandvillages.com and its stores nationwide.

Bathing Beauties

Attract birds and give them a pleasant place to drink with a glass bird bath. The curved bowl of these designs allows birds to wade in to whatever depth of water is best for them. Display on a low or tall stand of your choice. Bowls also make a pretty tabletop centerpiece. $28, not including stand. Collegiate, bird, floral and stained-glass designs available at www.homedepot.com, www.birdbaths.com and www.wayfair.com.

Grow What You Eat

Create a year-round vegetable/herb garden in a convenient 4-by-4-foot dovetail cedar raised garden kit. To assemble, simply slide the boards into the corner joints and secure the garden frame. Set the frame on any level outdoor space, add soil/compost mix and plants or seeds and grow your good health. $39.97 at Home Depot and www.homedepot.com.

Stocking Stuffers

Bird lovers will appreciate stockings, gift baskets or bags you create, stuff and give, each filled with bags of Cole’s all-natural bird feed. For birders plagued by hungry squirrels, choose “hot meats” blends that birds love and squirrels hate. Woodpeckers love the pecans in the “special feeder” blend, while the “nutberry suet blend” brings bluebirds, warblers, robins, woodpeckers and more. $12.49-$20.49 at www.coleswildbird.com or 877-426-8882 for retail and online outlets.

Cut-Flower Garden Kit

Everything you need to grow gorgeous fresh-cut flowers, including the 95-page, full-color “The Easy Cut-Flower Garden” book by flower farmer Lisa Mason Ziegler, and five packs of cut-flower seeds. $29.95 with free shipping; The Gardener’s Workshop at www.shoptgw.com or 888-977-7159; order by Wednesday for Christmas delivery.

Fine Fountain

Bubbling like a natural spring, this outdoor remote-controlled solar floor fountain features a low-profile design with a natural cut stone texture. It runs on solar power but also comes with a rechargeable battery pack for use at night. $109-$249 through Home Depot at www.homedepot.com.