Home gardeners have a bevvy of tasks to complete during the growing season — from planning garden plots, to sowing seeds and weeding, to pruning and harvesting. Why not give them gifts that can help them get things done next spring?
Here are a few of Charlie’s garden gift ideas:
Rubber totes
Charlie recommends Tubtrugs, which are made from flexible rubber and have two handles so they are easy to carry. Fill them with everything you need to lug around your yard — from stones to soil and plants to harvested veggies.
They come in a plethora of sizes and colors and you can also find them at local garden centers or online in many price ranges.
Tool totes
If you know a gardener who gets all the way into their garden only to realize they left the tools and supplies they need back in the garden shed, get them a handy tote.
Look for a sturdy, waterproof tote with a flat bottom so it can stand on its own. These equipment bags have lots of pockets and straps so you can secure tools.
These bags are great for toting hand tools, twine and labels, and you can use the larger pouches for harvested veggies, flowers and more.
Pruner holster
A holster for pruners can help the gardener in your life avoid poking holes in their pockets. A tool holster can be attached to a belt or put inside a larger pocket.
More from Vermont Public: Hand pruners: The gift you didn’t know you needed to give
Fingerless waterproof gloves
Gardeners who are out working in their gardens or yards in early spring or late fall know their hands can get cold, but wearing bulky gloves can make doing fine work difficult.
Give some fingerless, waterproof work gloves as a gift to the gardener on your list so they can keep their hands warm and still have dexterity when doing fine work like sowing seeds, picking up labels or pruning.
DIY kids’ kit for making plant markers
When planning your garden in the spring, labeling which seeds you’ve sown in which section is essential. And making your own plant labels — with the help of kids and grandkids — can turn gardening into a family activity.
Check sites like Etsy or Pinterest for plant label-making kits and get creative with little gardeners!
Gardening class
Give the gardener on your list the gift of a gardening class, and then take it one step further and accompany them!
Many parks and recreation departments, garden clubs and garden centers hold classes throughout the year, ranging from how to make holiday arrangements to garden planning to caring for houseplants.
When to plant warm season grasses
Q: I got suckered in again to end-of-season clearance at my local garden center! I purchased a variety of warm season grasses. I planted the Black Hawks bluestem about a month ago. I’m trying to decide whether to plant the others or dig up the blue stem, put them in pots over winter, then in the garage. What’s my better option? And I’ve lost fall planted ornamental grasses before. – Tonya, in Colchester
A: It’s good you put the Blackhawks bluestem grass in the ground already, but it is too late in the season to plant the others, because at this point in the season, the grasses won’t have enough time to get established. The root systems might die or even rot due to fluctuating temperatures that we often experience in our region during winter now, due to human-caused climate change.
Instead of planting those other grasses now, find a shed or unheated garage, and tuck them all together in a corner. Cover over the root balls with blankets, or if it’s a place where you can bring in bark mulch, cover them with bark mulch.
That layer of mulch or a blanket will protect the roots so the grasses will survive the winter. Then, later next spring, when it’s a bit warmer out, plant the warm-season grasses, and you should be good to go.
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