Oh, for the Christmas exchange this year, one of my relatives in getting another relative a subscription to Horticulture magazine (I know this because I suggested the idea to her), so how about someone getting you a gardening magazine subscription? (assuming, of course, you don't want a new kitchen floor or a new camera....)

Birdhouses
Obelisks
Wind Chimes
Felco Pruners, for a leftie in my case
Heating Mat
HI-Low Thermometer
Loppers
Gift Certificates
Rabbiting Spade
These are some of the things that have been on my wish list in past years.
Books would be on my want list for this year, but, unfortunately most of the ones I'm interested in are out of print and hard to find.

Annette

Do I even want to know what a rabbiting spade is? (no, I really don't...)

Well what a great crop of ideas! Especially got a good laugh out of the new kitchen floor, mxk3...lol. I guess my family has been doing a great job of keeping my garden list checked off, because I'm pretty satisfied with what I have. Have the two composters and two back up chicken wire bins for leaves, have the camera and just bought new Felco pruners, left handed no less. [g] Just bought a new wheelbarrow in the spring. Two huge ceramic pots were last year's Christmas gifts. I did suggest someone get me another wind chime, but they think I may have enough. [g]

I would love to find a few garden websites to look for some garden "jewelry". Have been wanting some obelisks and trellises for awhile now. I will try www.gardeners.com. I used to go to Smith and Hawkins but they are out of business now, aren't they? They were pretty pricey anyway. Anyone have any more suggestions for places to shop for great supplies and gifts? I know about Lee Valley Tools and I've checked out A.M. Leonard. Any other favorite shopping places? I always wanted to have one of those Hi-Low Thermometers, I am definitely going to put that one on my list.

I should think about getting a gardening magazine subscription. I used to get Organic Gardening. I wish there were a book that I couldn't live without. Feel free to make any gardening book suggestions if you have one you are wishing for. Just out of curiosity, what are you looking for Annette?

Okay, pardon my ignorance - I looked up rabbiting spade, and it isn't as gruesome a tool as I thought it was (though must have been in times past to acquire that name). Looks like a nice tool :0)

Oh, that reminds me of a couple more things....I saw a very pretty set of hose guides in the Smith and Hawkins catalogs a few years ago and have no idea where to get them, now that they are out of business. And I don't have a pair of gloves that I really like. Is anyone happy with their gloves?

Prairiemoon2, the uppermost book on my want list is Leo B. Boullemier's "The Checklist of Species, Hybrids and Cultivars of the Genus Fuchsia" the 1991 edition. Not a coffee table book but a great reference guide, not everybody's cup of tea :o). I have his earlier book (1985) of the same title but a lot of Fuchsias have been added since then. Dumb me I didn't buy it when it was available.

Annette

A wheelbarrow.

Mine sat outside for three years without a wheel, uside down next to the garage. Finally gave up on DH fixing it, so I gave it away last week on freecycle. Now I'm hoping for a new one, but I'm not holding my breath.

Of course, after seeing some of Mindy'a photos on another thread, I simply MUST have some of those gorgeous columns like she has, to use in the garden for pots and general decoration.

:)
Dee

diggerdee, what thread are mindys photos under? Id love to check it out!

How about a new birdfeeder or bath?

Hmmm! Great thread. I got the new kitchen floor last summer ( and it was great to get rid of the light one) (It's still dirty in the summer but no one else knows it.)
Have the felcoes too, so have to think a bit.
Garden trugs would be handy, always love nursery gift certificates. book...Shrubs for Cold Climates,50 High-Impact, Low-Care Garden Plants, Bulbs in the Basement, Geraniums on the Windowsill.Those are a few that come to mind.
If I didn't already have one, a hori-hori knife would be at the top of my list, it's become one of my favorite tools. Oh yeah, 30 or 40 yards of mulch and someone to spread it for me.

I agree, a hori-hori knife would make a great gift, I wouldn't be without mine.
How about a set of solar lights, they come in lots of different styles.

lilyfinch, on the New England forum, look for the thread by me called "I need a photo please". Mindy posted some photos of shrubs, but my eye instantly was caught by some of the columns in the photos.

:)
Dee
Duh - I'll just link to the thread. Here you go!

Here is a link that might be useful: Mindy's photos in this thread

Summer.

More of it. That's what I want from Santa. He should be good at miracles.

Good thread! I have been eyeing gardening boots. Anyone wear them? I wonder how comfortable they are in the summer, which I have alot more of than winter. I get so tired of cleaning athletic shoes....

diggerdee, just for future reference, what you want is a No-flat wheelbarrow tire. After replacing several on mine (flats caused by loading the wheelbarrow too heavily), I got the solid tire this past summer ($35!). End of problem.

linnea, move south: wish granted. :)

Same thing I'm getting for my birthday....Roses! :)

My husband is getting me some bands of gallicas and some other zone 4 roses. I can't wait until June (too cold to plant here before then).

Thanks Donna! I will definitely look for that when I buy my new wheelbarrow - as I mentioned, I'm not holding my breath for getting it as a gift, lol.

I'm not sure what you mean by gardening boots, but I bought a pair of muck boots because I work in one yard that is constantly muddy, and also in a garden with standing water (I normally just wear sneakers to garden). I LOVE the muck boots. I do wish I had gotten a half-size smaller, but was a bit uncertain because I wear orthotics and was buying on-line.

So they are a tad loose and they sometimes make my feet hurt because of that, but that's really my particular issue with my feet, not the boots' problem. As far as function, I don't know why I waited so long to buy them. (Well, yes I do know why - because I'm cheap, lol, and didn't want to open the wallet!). But I'm so glad I did.

They do get a bit warm in summer, but since the alternative is having soaking wet feet, I deal with it. They are definitely one item I would not be without.

:)
Dee

Seeds, or plants, or GCs for plants, or a circle hoe, or gardening gloves, or landscape blocks, or...

But I'll probably get jewelry or clothes, which I will be forced to go pick out myself on December 24th... sigh.

Someone was looking for gardening shoes? I wear the rubber mocs from LLBean. I really love them. I don't find them too hot in the summer that I've noticed but that could be just me. I'm usually out at the cooler times of day when it's hot. They seem to me to be indestructible and I just about live in them all year long. Anytime I am going out in the rain or the snow or the garden, they're on my feet. They are expensive, but the last pair lasted me 5 years before I had to replace them and actually I could have gotten a couple more years out of them.

Here is a link that might be useful: LLBean Rubber Mocs

PM, you should consider one of the digital weather station hi-lo thermometers , on most you can have 3 transmitting units that send the temps (current, high and low) to your indoor device . I have one that is starting to fail, but I've enjoyed it for several years. I have a transmitter in the front garden,the back garden and in the garage (you might recall that's where I do my seeds in Jan-Feb)..

Two manufacturers are Taylor Instruments and LaCrosse.

Kathy in Napa (sneaky awfice post)

Mmqchdygg- Tell your family that you want garden stuff. They can get you a gift certificate and you won't have to shop on the 24th. I'm sure your loved ones would rather give you something you really want and can use. Tell them your jewelry would be ornamental flowers and your clothes could be a nice pair of gardening gloves with tool accessories :)

Hi Kathy :-) I am going to have to look up those manufacturers, thanks. Do you keep a record of your high and low temps through the year? I think one of these years I might see if there is a complete weather station, that would show you the humidity level inside and out and the wind speed and direction too. That might be very helpful and definitely interesting. I imagine they are expensive though.

I didn't realize that www.gardeners dot com was Gardener's Supply. I like that they list the top rated items and reviews. I love to read reviews from people who have bought items. I see on the front page of that section they have a Mason Bee House, that I would really like. I keep thinking we are going to get around to making one, but I think I've waited long enough. They also have a pair of gloves that have 973 reviews and an overall rating of 4.5 stars. They are called Nitrile Gloves that are very form fitting. Only $6.95 a pair. Well, back to making a longer list... [g]

Hi PM ! We used to call those 'duck shoes' back in the old days when I lived in San Diego. The garden center I worked in carried them one year,a failure I'm afraid..when the rainfall averages 12 inches a year this was overkill. We speculated that the buyer that made the decision came from the Northwest and had not gone through a full winter in San Diego-which is basically no winter ! I always regretted not buying a pair when we closed them out at near cost-they would have been just the ticket for our wet winters up here. I do have Mucks, and love them but they are hot in the summer.

How about this number PM ? See the link below..

Kathy in Napa

Here is a link that might be useful: Taylor wind and temp station..

Dee thanks for posting that link! I love the columns too, they are beautiful!

A rose, a good red rose that stands out in the crowd

Kathy, that is some weather station. I was very surprised to see how many things it could do. Unfortunately, I read the reviews on Amazon and a number of people had difficulties with it. I'm happy to know they make these though. I'll keep looking for a similar one. It would be great if they really work dependably. ... For some odd reason, we've been in the habit of calling them 'Boat Shoes' and I have no idea why. [g]

I would love a GC to Pickering for the Fall. I am hoping to add a few roses next spring.

It's pretty funny how quickly I went from not having one garden related item on my list to having too many. :-)

A larger yard! Just kidding (no I'm not). Seriously, mini garden fairy houses, and mini garden stuff in general, some Felco pruners, gardening books are always great, a compost bin or three, and maybe gift cards to gardening centers.

That's about it I think.
Have a great holiday

For books that are supposedly out of print try Pine Tree Garden seeds. I have found several books there when all other sources stated that the book was out of print.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pine Tree Books

I have requested a couple of gardening books from the thread we had earlier about good ones. :) I'm getting my Mom nursery and mail order gift certificates. I hope someone gets me some too!

Gloves: I really like the nitrile gloves from gardenerssupply.com. They are pretty tough and resilient but thin enough that you can do detail work with them (like pulling tiny weeds).

Garden ornaments: If it's your style, designtoscano.com has plaques and statues that are pretty good quality. I ordered a statue from them a few years ago that I really liked, but the dogs broke it when we moved to this house. As long as you don't have dogs that like to body-slam your statues, they're worth checking out. :)

I know about Designtuscano. Gorgeous statuary, and quite pricey. Gargoyles galore too. Would be nice too! :)
I did purchase two pharoah statues for my perennials beds from ancientsculpturegallery.com. Also pricey, but unique and lovely.

Oh, I had forgotten about Design Toscano. I used to get their catalog ages ago. I guess they stopped sending it when I never bought anything, lol.

I will check them out again, as well as the ancient sculpture gallery too. Thanks!

:)
Dee

lavender_lass: See my blue face? That would be from trying to tell them all what I'd like- but only when asked. I'm not one to say "get me this" unless someone is looking for suggestions.

MIL asked me one year what I wanted. I said a bale of potting soil. I think I got a scented candle.

Mom asks me what I want, I say gardening stuff. I get GCs to the Dress Barn.

DH asks me what I want, and I circle everything in the Bluestone Catty that just came, and several other cattys, and he repeats that "...seeds are NOT "gifts."

WHY NOT??!!! I am a simple, practical person whose clothes are chosen specifically because they never go out of style. I buy new shoes when the other ones are too ratty to be worn to the office. I don't NEED a new coat; this one is the warmest one I've ever owned, and I LIKE it. Why are you bothering to even ask me what I want, when I know you're going to get me what YOU would like to get. I know: get yourself that GC to the Dress Barn, and have a good time shopping.

I guess some people will always give others gifts that THEY think are nice, not necessarily what the giftee thinks is nice.

I guess I've been lucky. My family pretty much gets me what I want - when, that is, they ask me what I want. My mom got me a flow-tron leaf shredder one year, and I've gotten a composter, a garden fork, and great gift certificates to garden supply stores over the years.

My kids, on a smaller scale, get me new sweat pants and slippers, lol. My daughter moans (just was moaning last night!) because she says that's all I ever ask for, are slippers and sweat pants. I tell her I need new ones because the ones she bought me last year are worn, and that's really, really what I want. It's something I want, something I need, and something I will most definitely use. Not exciting gifts, I suppose, but practical. Jewelery won't keep my feet warm, lol!

:)
Dee

Every year my family asks me what I want. I make a list.... They won't buy me kitchen towels, or garden gloves, or a new skillet. Why do I bother? I am also very practical and wear my clothes until they are worn out. Shoes I replaced this winter because my feet were getting wet. I have put garden gloves(4 pair) and ear muffs on my list this year. I went thru 4 pair this year and it's cold outside. I would love gift certificates to nurseries, but I don't think that's going to happen. Last year they surprised me with a new sprinkler and a collapsible yard waste bin. Maybe they are starting to pay attention to where I am the whole growing season. I have mostly just bought what I wanted when I don't get it. I often get gift certificates to Barnes and Nobles which I love getting. I always love getting bath salts to soak my sore body in. Last year my husband got a new shovel that I really love. I let him use it a couple of times, lol.

I hope I didn't sound like an ingrate up there. I was only trying to make a point. I don't mind scented candles; I'll burn them...I just think the whole asking-how-to-get-there-and-then-getting-lost-because-you-decided-to-take-a-different-road is dumb. If you wanted to take your own road in the first place, don't ask for directions.

Anyway, I think I've figured it out. If it's going to be all about the gifter, then maybe I just need to think like they do- shop in a place where it would be 'acceptable' to them. If they want to get me a gifty thing (as defined by them), I'll tell them where to get me a GC to.
I MIGHT be able to persuade them to actually skip the mall, and do my shopping at the Tractor Supply Store. I can certainly find "gifty" things in there (but I'll have to opt for a 'gifty-looking' thing like the fancy bird-feeder, and not the 40 lb bag of Nut & Fruit birdseed, because "birdseed is NOT a gift." I could remind him that he gives his GRANDMOTHER suet, so why isn't it good enough to give ME? He still won't though.)
I could find a country cookbook in there (I suk at cooking; but I like the pictures). That's "gifty."
And I could get a "garden jacket" in the Carhartt section since he was trying to convince me to get one to work outside with so I wouldn't ruin the one I mentioned above.
I think I might be able to make this work!
Maybe it's all about a "thing to hold." He never gets me GCs (but it's all HE ever wants from HD- double standard me thinks)...what's up with that? Eh, whatever.
If I could skip the whole thing entirely, that would work for me.

"...If I could skip the whole thing entirely, that would work for me..."

LOL, my DH and I just pretty much buy what we want for ourselves, and don't worry too much about gifts for each other. Well, that me rephrase that. It's not like we go out at Christmas or birthdays and buy our own presents, lol, but when we each want something throughout the year, as long as the budget is there, we get it. So when the time for gift-giving comes around, it's not like we're waiting with bated breath and hoping the other one did good. Because we'll just go out and get whatever it is we wanted ourselves!

By the way, you didn't come off as an ingrate at all. I really do find that more people than not don't put a whole lot of thought into a gift. They often buy things that they like, without really thinking what the recipient would like. At least in my experience.

Many people think a gift card is a cop-out gift, and makes it look like you didn't "work hard enough" on buying something. But honestly, I'd rather have a gift card and buy something I really want, than to have someone waste their time and hard-earned money on something I might not use.

I gotta say it's kinda cool that your DH buys his grandmother suet...

:)
Dee

Aren't we all incredibly blessed to even be having this conversation?! I think about our pioneer ancestors who had to work so hard and sacrifice so much to give one another even ONE thing that they genuinely needed....and most children were fortunate if they got even one "want" in their entire childhoods..

Thanks for the recommendations on the foot gear. I really like the look of the Muck Boots and the Bean shoes. I am going to e-mail them to my sweetie, who actually is the one who suggested that I look into them in the first place! How about that?

Because we have my husband's mother living with us, and because we have to be gone at night so much, and because her illness involves paranoia, we live in a very ritzy gated community. Remarkably, no one seems to mind that we are nearly the only ones who do all our own yard work and home maintenance... You should have seen the look on the across-the-street-doctor's-wife's face the first time I told her how thrilled I was that my husband had given me a chipper/shredder for my birthday. I'd give anything to have had a picture of her face!:)

Y'all are probably the only folks I know who truly understand my weirdness....:)

warning slightly off topic stop reading here....
I spent an hour or so perusing Lee Valley Tools on line. I found the perfect gift for my spider phobic daughter: a gentle spider catcher with long handle so one doesn't have to get too close to feared creature. They only come in twos, because you always want close at hand.
Normally, I would not spend 25$ like this, but trust me, it is perfect. It shows I am really thinking of her.

I'll mention tho, that they have all cotton gardeners pants, which many bemoaned the disappearance of from marketplace. If you don't need pants but pockets, there's the tool apron. I'm going to try that.

What I really wanted were the silicone ties, which can be hooked together for a longer lenght. I never have anything to properly hold the legs together of a roasting chicken or turkey, and I long ago gave up on having twine at hand.

And look at the pie chain!!

I am soooooo happy tonight!

idabean

Nice, deep windowboxes to line my porch railings with!

mmqchdygg- I agree with you and have the same problem every year. My mom is the only one who will buy me things like a garden cart. My MIL always asks, and then buys whatever. I asked for craftsman garden tools from her, i guess we'll see if she does it, even though she makes a face when i tell her thats what i want!

To those who mentioned the nitrile gloves: Nitrile has replaced latex in some glove products, especially for those people who are allergic to latex. Paramedics, dental hygenists, sports trainers, etc. often wear them. They are usually a medium blue color. If you wear them for a long time, your hands would really sweat. At least, mine would.

A lot of the nitrile coated gloves seem to get stiff in time (when wet maybe?) But I discovered these this year called MaxiCool and I LOVE them.

http://www.hardworkinggloves.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=89&language=en

Right now, I'd like to have a bunch of empty gallon size milk jugs, and 2 liter soda bottles, and it wouldn't cost them anything..just go out on recycle day and pull them out of people's recycle bins that are by the curb, waiting to be picked up by recycle workers.I asked for more stepping stones from Plow & Hearth to go along with the two I purchased myself the other day. Plastic crates to put the jugs and bottles in. I could add for them to order me flower seeds online but they wouldn't know what I wanted unless I gave them a list and company where I saw them.

wendyb, I have garden gloves similar to the ones you showed. I really like them for fall bulb planting and early spring perennial division, when the soil is still damp and cold. For summer gardening, I prefer going "glove-less".

idabean - I have several pairs of the Lee Valley gardener's pants and they are invaluable - not only for gardening but any hands-and-knees type work where knee pads come in handy. I do prefer the original knee pads they had rather than the new, thicker ones though. Fortunately I bought spare knee pads years ago so have lots.

If you have roses, Lee Valley's rose gauntlets are great. The Bionic rose gloves you can get are equally as effective - but not nearly as nice looking!

A valuable Lee Valley tool is the long-arm pruners - essential for pruning the wisteria trees or tall vines.

Do you have a gardener's journal, and a rain gauge? I prefer a simple rain gauge to the fancy weather station things. Each day I record general weather conditions, rainfall and high/low temperature. I get the temperature reading on-line from the Environment Canada weather station closest to me. I'm sure there must be somewhere similar that you could get that info from. It's not as precise, obviously, as a reading from your own garden but it's good enough to track general trends. As temperature would fluctuate even in your own garden, depending on whether you are measuring in an exposed or sheltered location, I figure the EC weather station data is close enough.

Garden books are always a welcome gift and DH has a knack for finding interesting ones in used book stores! He also gets the Timber Press catalog. I love William Robinson's The Wild Garden and also like Rick Darke's books so I have requested the new edition of the Wild Garden that has been expanded by Rick Darke.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Wild Garden - new edition

That rabbit shovel mentioned near the top of the thread is really one of my most used of all.

PM2, I hope you enjoy whatever garden items you were given. Care to share what you enjoyed most?

Happy new Year!
'bug

Hello all...Hello Woody and 'bug! :-) Thanks so much for all the great suggestions. I found a few things under the Christmas tree this year. A pair of the gardening gloves from Gardener's Supply and a very pretty umbrella with a sunflower on it. A white Amaryllis and a gift certificate to a local nursery. My favorite gardening gift though, had to be the Clay Flower Press from Lee Valley Tools. I saw it mentioned on a different thread on another forum and added that to my wish list. I am very excited to start preserving leaves and flowers from the garden!

Yes, Happy New Year! :-)

Now I'm curious about this rabbit shovel. A google search turns up rabbits ON shovels, or rabbits holding shovels, though. What does one look like?

Basically it is a narrow shovel, great for digging in between plants in a perennial border. Google rabbiting spade images to have a look see.

I forgot to mention my very favorite gift. My son found a pretty three tier metal plant stand and painted it a nice green. I can't wait to get some plants ready for it. I've always wanted one and I love it!

Woody, if you didn't receive The Wild Garden yet, Amazon has it in sale for $19+.