Homemade Gifts for Gardeners

To paraphrase Ralph Waldo Emerson, the best gift is a gift of thyself. Knowing that someone took the time to make something special for you gives a wonderful feeling of warmth and good cheer -and that in itself is a gift!

 

For the gardeners on your list, there a number of items you might consider making for gifts, from gardening gloves to your own unique gift certificates.

 

To make gardening gloves, begin with a pair of plain, light-colored canvas gardening gloves. You will also need acrylic craft paint, stencils of flowers, vegetables or other garden-related items and small paintbrushes or sponges. Lay the gloves flat on a work surface covered with newspaper. Tape your stencil to the back of one glove (or draw a free-hand design) and gently sponge or brush on paint. If you want more than one color, let the paint dry between applications of each color. Repeat the process with the second glove. To personalize the gift further, write the recipient's name on the glove cuffs.

 

The same stencil and paint process can also be used to decorate a fabric tote bag. Again a plain, light color is best suited to show off your design and colors. Once you have your plan and materials ready, work slowly, adding one color at a time and allowing time to dry between applications. Let the bag dry for a week to 10 days when finished. Alternately, tote bags can also be embroidered or appliquéd with a festive floral or vegetable design. While a gift in itself, the tote bag can be filled with favorite seeds, markers, a journal or hand tools. With the gloves or tote bag be sure and include a card, carrying instructions to hand wash in cool water using mild soap. Or how about some homemade applesauce, pickles or jam?

 

Avid gardeners will enjoy a five-gallon bucket turned into a multi-purpose harvester and holder for gardening supplies. Fashion different sized pouches for hand tools, and pockets for seeds and small items. A painter's apron, old blue jeans or other heavy fabric make good pouches. Tie your gardeners tool belt to the outside of a bucket. This bucket of tools can then be carried from one spot to another, and can also be used to collect weeds or your harvest.

 

Perhaps your gardening friends would appreciate a decorative bowl filled with homemade potpourri. Placed in a warm place, the potpourri will last for months, delighting the senses and reminding your friends of your thoughtfulness. Here is a good recipe called Mogul Potpourri (adapted from "Savoring Spices and Herbs", Julie Sahni.) In an ungreased fry pan over medium-low heat, combine 3 tablespoons green cardamom pods, 6 (3-inches each) cinnamon sticks, 2 tablespoons whole cloves, 1 star anise (separated), 1 teaspoon ground mace, 1 tablespoon juniper berries, 8 bay leaves and 1/4 cup coriander seeds. Toss and stir the spices until they give off an aroma, about 5 minutes. Transfer the spices to a bowl and allow to cool. Add 1 teaspoon ground dried sage, 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, dried zest of 1 orange, broken into small bits and dried petals of 4 red roses (optional). Makes 1-1/2 cups. If you plan to make potpourri mixes and/or herbal blends for gifts, most natural food stores carry these items in bulk at a reduced cost.

 

Many gardeners also love to write. Why not decorate a journal cover with a picture collage of garden flowers and vegetables? Present this with a nice pen and a small book of garden quotations or lore. Or dig out some of those garden photographs of flowers and affix them to the front of good quality, plain note cards. Perhaps you even have some pressed flowers tucked away in a book that could be used to decorate the note cards. Boxed with envelopes, these are a welcome gift for any gardener.

 

Herb blends for flavoring soups, stews, meats, fish and vegetables can be mixed up easily from homegrown or store-bought dried herbs. Cookbooks carry a variety of recipes for rubs and herb blends that can be prepared and tied in muslin scraps or put into spice jars for gift giving. One favorite blend is spicy Creole Seasoning. Try it on grilled chicken, oven-roasted potatoes or steaks or wherever you like some added zip. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1/2-tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon each onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, and freshly ground black pepper, and 1/2-1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you want it. Stir ingredients well and store in airtight jars. Makes about 2/3 cup. Serving size: 1 tablespoon.

 

If you've made jams, jellies or other preserves, consider packaging a few jars in an attractive basket with a couple of pretty napkins and some homemade biscuits. Include some homemade herbal or store-bought tea for those tea-drinking gardeners on your list.

 

Decorated flowerpots make a perfect gift for gardeners. Start with a clean, lightly sanded terra-cotta pot and decorate with stencil, decoupage or mosaic tiles. If the pot will be used for a plant, brush the inside with a water sealant (the kind used for wood) to prevent moisture from seeping through and ruining the design. For a stenciled pot, coat the outside with two coats of acrylic paint, painting the rim a different color, if you choose. Be as wild or subdued as you wish with your colors and design. When dry, tape the stencil to the pot. With a stencil brush or sponge, carefully dab on the paint and allow to dry. Fill the pot(s) with potting soil and fresh windowsill herbs, flower plants or the recipient's favorite green plant. Or, if you've collected seeds from your garden, package these attractively and tuck them into the flowerpots.

 

Finally, gift certificates for your time, something only you can give, are especially appreciated by those who love gardening but have difficulty doing as much as they'd like because of health or time constraints. Choose or make a lovely card and write out your intention to do something for them for a certain amount of time. For instance, you could offer to plant spring bulbs or do some weeding as your gift.

 

With some ingenuity and a little time, you be able to please the gardening friends on your gift-giving list, and avoid the conventional shopping crunch.

 

Call the UNH Cooperative Extension’s Family, Home & Garden Education Center ’s Info-Line toll free at 1-877-398-4769 for “Practical Solutions to Everyday Questions”. Trained volunteers are available to answer your questions Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 2:00pm .

 

By Nancy Adams, Master Gardener, University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, Hillsborough County