Through my travels to shops and art fairs this fall, I have collected ideas for holiday gifts. After all, that is what good elves do. Here are a few of my favorites for the gardeners on your list.
Let’s start with mushrooms. They seem to be everywhere. Stan Cook and Mestari Designs have some of my favorites. Stan is a woodturner who uses various surface enhancement techniques, including pyrography, carving, inlay, and dyes, to enhance his turned pieces.
He has many beautiful pieces, but I was taken with his mushrooms. He begins by mounting a block of wood on his lathe and turns it to the desired shape. Next, he uses a wood burner and a stippling technique to burn hundreds of tiny dots into the surface of the wood to create the patterns of morel mushrooms. Visit the studio’s Facebook page or www.mestaridesigns.com to learn more and shop.
Keeping with the mushroom theme, Made by Meish designer Michelle Claus has relief prints of morels. The black-and-white images are crisp and come in two sizes. She also has several note cards, even a fun series centered around hiking boots. Visit www.madebymeish.com to shop.
The concept of English tea gardens, a beautiful outdoor garden where tea and other refreshments are served is quite common in garden books. Sometimes the space is formal; other times, it has an English cottage feel, but it is always inviting. If you know a gardener who loves to entertain in their “tea garden,” you need to visit the TeaSpots Facebook page. The designers repurpose teapots into unique garden ornaments. They are gorgeous.
Each vintage design can be used outside, but they would look lovely indoors in a container arrangement. Not only do they have teapots of every color and style, they also have tea sets and tea cups. This year-old business began after the creators saw similar teapots during their travels. Note that the teapots are fragile, one-of-a-kind designs, and because of this, the company does not ship them but will make every effort to arrange a way for you to take delivery. Contact TeaSpots at teaspotswv@gmail.com or through their Facebook page.
Morgan Rhea’s upscale leather designs are always on my list of must-haves. Morgan has had national and international success yet keeps her business and production here in West Virginia. You may have seen her work featured in fashion magazines, boutiques, or even adorning a celebrity. All of the designs are individually crafted and lovely, but this gardener is quite taken with the Savannah Collection and its ode pollinators.
Visit www.morganrhea.com to see the Savannah Collection’s keychains, earrings, and wristlets. This Collection also includes the beautiful Wilma Jean Tote and Honeycomb Bee Cuffs. The Happy Bee Koozie is fun for everyone. Look closely, and you will find bees, gardenscapes, and honeycombs throughout all the products. A gift of artisan leather in support of pollinators will make gardeners smile.
Of course, I love books, and a few of my favorites this year are the Gardener’s Bed-Book, Short and Long Pieces to be Read in Bed By Those Who Love Green Growing Things, written by Richardson Wright. This sweet book, just like the title suggests, has a quick read for each evening – what a nice way to end the day.
A garden journal is a valuable gift. To keep several years of information in one spot, consider A Gardener’s Journal, a Ten Year Chronicle of Your Garden by Lee Valley Tools, Ltd. To call this a journal is an understatement. This book has information for the seasons and a daily log for notes throughout the decade. I received this as a gift and have filled it with news clippings, plant tags, photos, and of course notes about what was good and challenging in the garden.
Gardeners are always happy with seeds, bulbs, and beautiful containers. Don’t forget garden gloves, a good hand suave, and chocolate. I hope these ideas help as you and your elves make a list and check it twice and as you holiday shop, please remember to shop local and support the businesses within your community.
