Never fear! Garden gifts if the garden is all closed up

Now, before you say to yourself, "I've already done the end-of-the-year chores, AND it's snowing!" there are some options if you can't get gifts from your own garden this year.

Head over to the Farmer's Market to check out the selection of herbs still on hand. These may already be dried and prettily packaged to boot! Without a doubt, lots of other terrific gift items will be available for perusal, too.

According to the Farmer's Marketer (check out What's at the Market This Week on the left), it looks like apples galore can still be found. Why not whip up a batch or two of applesauce, can or freeze it and give it away? Talk about a refreshing taste of sunshine when the temperatures drop!

Create a tea blend from the great selection of herbs at a bulk grocery store section like the one at the People's Food Coop or Arbor Farms.

Make a super top secret hot cocoa mix for friends and family. Just think of how much fun you'll have "testing" the different recipes! (This could also be done while catching up on garden reading...and ok, you can't grow cocoa ingredients in your garden, but it's still homemade and still yummy.)

Amaryllis make a great gift for everyone from the non-gardener to the novice gardener to the botanist on your list. The thrill of watching the leaves emerge and the final trumpets of color move even the most curmudgeonly.

Give a selection of herbs for the windowsill. Fresh herbs are even better than dried ones, and the cheerful green leaves will be a welcome sight in anyone's home. Tailor the herb selection (seeds or seedlings) to the person in question, along with a cute pot or two. How much fun is that?

Review of New Gardening Books

Just in time as a follow-up to a recent post on gardening books comes this review from the New York Times. Reviewed are a total of 10 new books covering a range of topics - landscape gardening in Japan, historic gardens in England and America, parks and urban landscaping, bulbs, and good old fashioned garden reference - to match the whims and interests of any gardener.

And for those wanting a list of more recent vegetable-focused books, check out this terrific compilation/review from Spring. Reviewing and summarizing 12 books in total, this list would make a wonderful check list for building a gardening library.

And finally, for the whipper-snapper's on your list who might be shy (or even those who are not!) about gardening, The Curious Garden by Peter Brown, is sure to inspire everyone.

Gifts from the garden

As gift-giving season fast approaches, the stress of remembering who's on the list, what they like or don't like, not to mention the cost of many items can make the season more stressful than might be ideal. Here are a few ideas for this year (or to keep in mind for next year!) to ease the situation.

Dried herbs.

Dried herbs make fantastic presents! Whether it's a sprig of rosemary, a sweet little jar of oregano, dried mint and lemon balm for tea, or lavender sachets for a drawer or for a plunge in the bath, these are sure to delight. Drying herbs is easy as hanging them up to dry in the house or popping them in a low, low oven spread out on a cookie sheet.

Garden preserves.

If you've got a nice bundle of goodies canned, dried, or frozen consider dolling up the packaging a bit and giving them as gifts. Dried tomatoes (or tomato chips!) make a fantastic present that could probably be given multiple years in a row without any complaints, not too mention some of that pesto in the freezer!

Garden crafts.

How about a wreath from the wild grapevine growing along the back fence? Or a bouquet of dried flowers? How about some seeds saved from a garden favorite? Here's a good list of ideas and how to do them, or check out this upcoming movie about handmade gifts and crafts to release that crafty gene just lurking in your veins!

More Ideas?

Send along some of your favorite garden gift ideas. We'd love to hear how you share the bounty of the garden during the holidays.

More Gift Ideas

Here are a few more gift ideas for the gardener on your list or those you might like to inspire.

Holiday Plants and Heirloom Seeds
Seeds make a great gift for that gardening friend, and heirloom seeds are some of the best. Unique varieties of tomatoes, popcorn, squash, and even flowers abound. That little packet offers a taste (sometimes literally!) of the past, and increases the diversity of our food sources. Great places to find heirloom seeds include Project Grow, Seed Savers Exchange, or Old House Gardens for nearly forgotten bulbs. You might even get a nice bundle of tasty and beautiful treats come summer! (Hint: A Project Grow garden plot makes an excellent home for those seeds, too.)

And don't forge the traditional Amaryllis and Christmas Cactus that bloom while the snow flies. Both make delightful gifts for the friend who doesn't garden, but likes a bit of color. Both are easy to care for and offer a feast for the eyes.

Tools
Tools make great gifts, and can often be found at a local store. Trowels, kneeling mats, dandelion diggers, gloves (especially the colorful Project Grow gloves!), and even plant tags are items any gardener would love to receive. And what better place to learn to use those tools than at a Project Grow class!

Treats from the Garden
Homemade jam, a jar of Grandma’s secret recipe tomato or barbecue sauce, or a pretty bundle of dried herbs from the garden make excellent gifts, too. Pair it with some homemade bread or another baked good, and winter just got a little warmer!

Gardening Books as Gifts

Each year it can be tricky to come up with unique gift ideas that don't get dusty, go out of style, or need batteries. The gift of gardening - a book, a tool, or a sample of summer's harvest - provides long-term joy and happiness. It's a way of sharing the fun of gardening, the tradition of sharing food, and offering some inspiration for new endeavors and adventures. This is the first in a series of posts about simple and relatively inexpensive gifts that can be found locally and are sure to please t he gardener and non-gardener alike.

Now that snow is falling and it's hard to get outside (or get motivated to get outside), the following books offer some inspiration and help justify snuggling into that favorite armchair. Following is a sample of the many terrific gardening books out there. Head off to your favorite local bookstore and see what other resources you can find!

Plant-Driven Design: Creating Gardens That Honor Plants, Place, and Spirit by Ogden and Lauren Springer Ogden, 2008, Timber Press. A new book about garden design that focuses on plants and plant selection, which strangely turns much of garden design around. A promising read!

Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens by Douglas W. Tallamy, 2007, Timber Press. Wildlife in the garden seems like an oxymoron until you read Tallamy's discussion of why it is so deeply integral to the success of our gardens and our very lives. Terrific photos paired with clear and compelling explanations make this a fascinating read and expands the garden almost exponentially with the turning of each page.

Great Garden Companions: A Companion-Planting Systems for a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden by Sally Jean Cunningham, 1998, Rodale Press. A must-have for any gardener, Cunningham offers an excellent compendium of plant information, gardening techniques, and inspiring photographs.

Early American Gardens "For Meate or Medicine" by Ann Leighton, 1986, University of Massachusetts Press. Just one of the books about historical gardening written by Leighton, this one offers a fascinating look at colonial gardening describing techniques, plants, and philosophies. An inspiring read for anyone interested in American history or gardening.

The Earth Knows My Name: Food, Culture, and Sustainability in the Gardens of Ethnic Americans by Patricia Klindienst, 2006, Beacon Press. Knowing this book won the 2007 American Book Award is no surprise once you dip into these beautifully told stories of eleven gardens and those who tend them. Moving and delightful this book is sure to please any reader on your list.

Greens Fair Today!

Alrighty, folks! Today is the Annual Greens Market sponsored by the Ann Arbor Branch of the Woman's Farm and Garden Association at Mattheai Botanical Gardens. Project Grow is there sharing information, selling seeds and gloves, and enjoying the festive atmosphere.

Head on over to say hello, check out the tasty baked goods, fresh holiday greens, and so much more. (This is a great opportunity to explore the gardens, too!)

The Market is open from 10am to 12pm for Members, and 12pm to 4pm for the general public. See you there!

Groovy Gloves for Gifts!

Slip a pair of these Project Grow gloves in a gift box this holiday season, and know you’ve given one of the snazziest (yet practical) gifts a gardener could want. Little grippy dots help you hold onto that trowel that usually gets away, and these brightly colored gems won't get lost in the swiss chard. A bargain at $10 a pair and sure to put a smile on any gardener's face, they are currently only available at the Annual Greens Market on Thursday, December 4^th at Mattheai Botanical Gardens.

Come find us at this great event put on by the Ann Arbor chapter of the National Woman’s Farm and Garden Association. You’ll find plenty of good stuff here to pair with these terrific gloves – plants, the freshest holiday greens ever, unique gifts, baked goods, and super informative demonstrations – and we hope to see you there!