Great gift ideas for the gardener in your life

THE first weekend in December is upon us and it is now officially OK to mention Christmas!

Shopping has begun in earnest and the question of what to get for the gardening friend in your life is a pressing issue at this time of the year.

A good gardening book is always an excellent option and there are many to choose from this year again.

Stephen Butler, now retired from lead horticultural duties at Dublin zoo, where he was instrumental in establishing a wonderful plant selection throughout the animal enclosures and public spaces, has penned a book called Gardening For Gorillas. It is full of interesting plant information relating to challenging projects encountered during his time at the zoo, as the emphasis on animal welfare became the major focus.

Growing plants in the enclosures that would not be harmful to the animals and that were tolerant of the grazing/poaching within the spaces that were home to the animals kept in the zoo, was the main emphasis during his career there.

This book gives a great insight into the interactions between the animals and plants, which is an extra layer that we do not usually encounter in our own gardens! It is available to purchase at Dublin Zoo or directly from the author by emailing gardeningforgorillas@gmail.com

The plant nursery Kilmurry Nurseries, in Gorey, Wexford are offering an attractive Christmas gardening gift this Christmas that can be accessed from all over the country.

Their €100 Christmas bundle is a great gift for an expert gardener or a complete novice. It includes a gorgeous €50 gift voucher for under the tree for them to use at their leisure, and then in February a beautifully packed surprise box of plants will arrive to their door. Delivery is free.

This bundle lets the recipient choose a selection of plants themselves from the web shop or from the nursery, itself as well as having a surprise mix of plants arrive to their door in the spring for either a sunny or shady spot in their garden - you decide which location they get. A great idea for the plant lover in your life!

Meadows and Byrne have some great footwear for these cold and muddy days in the garden, in the form of ankle height wellington boots with liners that can be worn as slippers.

Ideal for keeping at the back door for those ‘five minute jobs’ that turn into staying outside until it is dark! They come in a range of cheerful colours for €39.99.

Perhaps a season ticket for one of the larger gardens, to enable a walk in nature at will throughout 2023, would be of interest to a gardening friend.

Blarney Castle Gardens and Bantry House and Gardens are two gardens in Cork. and Mount Congreve and Lismore Castle are two garden options in Waterford.

There is the snowdrop gala to look forward to on February 4 in Ballykealy House, Ballon, Co. Carlow, and what a lovely present to receive as a gift this Christmas. Tickets cost €100 and include morning and afternoon teas, lunch, lectures and snowdrop sale at Altamont later that day.

For more information, contact sales@altamontplants.com or hesterforde@gmail.com

The RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) flower show tickets are on sale from their website www.rhs.org.uk and you can choose from the more reasonably priced day tickets for the Malvern Spring Show in early May, Hampton Court Show in July and Tatton Park Show, also in July, or the more expensive Chelsea Flower Show which takes place in late May.

Tickets range from about €100 to €35, depending on the venue, and tickets are cheaper if you are a member of the RHS.

Gardeners always need to keep a good hand cream close by and Avene have a great one to ease those dry, chaffed hands over the winter months.

Sunscreen has never been so important when working out of doors, and again Avene have some great products which moisturise the skin and provide sun protection also.

Effective insect repellant can be a life-saver when working in the garden, or indeed in any outdoor setting, and Smidge (inset below) is a good one, available in pharmacies nationwide.

All very practical gift that will be well received by any outdoorsy person.

Cookery classes are always a great present, particularly for those keen on growing vegetables. Lettercollum in Clonakilty recently announced it was searching for new owners, but its very talented chefs and growers, Karen Austin and Con McLoughlin, will be running cookery classes in Timoleague starting in January, with a Thai themed class, followed by Mediterranean, Vegan, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Lebanese, Mexican and Salads and Herbs throughout the springtime.

Lots of ideas for cooking which will undoubtedly influence the growing also. Check out ‘classes and cooking holiday’ on www.lettercollum.ie for more details.

House plants are a great gift to entice a potential gardener gently into the world of plants! One of the easiest one to take care of indoors has to be the spider plant, or Chlorophytum comosum, which will happily grow in indirect sunlight with regular watering once per week during the summer and less than that in the winter.

Direct light will have the effect of burning the leaves, and when they are growing happily, they will produce plenty of offspring, resembling little spiders, which can be potted in spring and summer to produce new plants.

Happy Shopping this December!