Ho, ho, ho. Christmas 2020 is just weeks away and it’s time for all good holiday elves to finish their shopping. I have a few ideas to help with the list.
With all of its challenges, 2020 has been the year we expanded our gardens and experimented in the kitchen — both good places to look for gift ideas. Gardeners love to play in the soil and trim leaves. House plants can be a way to do this indoors.
Find your inner hippie, and give macramé plant hangers. Not only are they a fun, creative way to add plants to a room, they also let you position or hang the plants in sunny spots without taking up valuable table space. Macramé hangers come in all designs and lengths. Heck, maybe you have skills and can knot your own! Add a planter, and a plant mister and you have a fun, imaginative gift.
Needle nose hand shears or garden scissors are useful gifts gardeners will love. Combine them with a pair of garden gloves, a fingernail brush and hand salve for a stocking full of gifts.
Terrariums are another way to bring the garden indoors. There are many shapes and sizes to choose from, including structured, glass table-sized houses or glass bowls. No need to worry about filling it, your gardener will have ideas and lots of fun creating their personalized gardens.
I love wind chimes and have them hanging outside of windows, doors and in the tree limbs of my shade garden. This year I have asked Santa to replace the ones outside my back door. They are very old and the weather has taken a toll. Corinthian Bells wind chimes are made in Manassas Park, Virginia, and have a beautiful, deep sound when the wind blows. I have seen them for sale at local garden centers and feed shops.
Keeping it local, I noticed beautiful doormats in several area stores. What a fun gift. Something everyone needs, but not everyone will invest in for themselves. I have them at every outside door, so one always needs to be replaced.
Follow my train of thought: doormats — garden clogs — and slippers. With so many of us working from home this winter, slippers have become a wardrobe staple. A quick poll among my friends on fluffy versus sturdy garnered a tie. Some like soft, fuzzy slippers that are meant for indoors only. Me, I like a slipper that lets me wear socks and has a sole so I can run outside with the pup or to the mailbox without worrying about my toes getting wet. Some of my favorites are Keen, Uggs and Stegmann. Yes, they are a little pricey, but will last for years.
Maybe fuzzy socks and cozy pajamas are more your gardener’s speed? Who doesn’t love new jammies for long winter naps or time spent working puzzles? Jigsaw puzzles! Why not? Rifle Paper Company has fun puzzles perfect for any gardeners or puzzle lovers on your list. Keep it local and visit Kin Ship Goods online www.kinshipgoods.com to see their puzzle selection, including camping equipment and Golden Girls themed puzzles.
What gift list would be complete without a few book suggestions? The New York Times Bestseller by Meryl Gordon, “Bunny Mellon: The Life of an American Style Legend,” is a fascinating read and includes a few photos of her remarkable life. A book on succulents would pair with a glass terrarium. Visit Taylor Books if you are in Charleston or order online at bookshop.org/shop/taylorbooks.
Two books that will always be on the list are Llewellyn’s 2021 Moon Sign Book and the 2021 Old Farmer’s Almanac. Also, think about a journal, either specifically for gardening or with blank pages. Many gardeners will sketch their beds at different times throughout the year and the blank pages come in handy.
Did you can vegetables or make jelly this summer? No worries if you did not make your own. The WV Market within Capital Market has a big selection. A basket of homemade treats, a pretty dishtowel or a set of wooden spoons (bonus points for handcrafted) always make a perfect present.
Blenko water pitchers are one of my go-to gifts. I have several and use them for everything from watering the kitchen plants, a vase for floral arrangements and, of course, a water pitcher during dinner.
This might not be the year that we are dashing through the snow, shopping and having holiday lunches with friends, but with a little creativity, we can give thoughtful gifts. Shopping local and filling the sleigh with personal, and — when I can — locally made or purchased gifts, is a holiday tradition we can continue this year and every year.
