Well, are these GOOD friends, or just acquaintances?

I've never really thought about a gardening Christmas wish list before because I don't really believe in Santa Claus. But if I did. . . .

I'd probably ask to upgrade the black plastic compost bin my sons gave me last year with one that sits up on metal supports and rotates with a cranker. I think I'm ready for it now.

I'd have Santa go ahead and renew all the magazine subscriptions I just let expire because I can no longer afford them (Organic Gardening, Mother Earth News, Horticulture, and whatever else he thinks I might need.)

Online Gift certificates for Seeds of Change, Raintree Nursery, Squaw Mountain Gardens, Brent & Becky's, McClure & Zimmerman, Douglas Fey Pottery, Digging Dog Nursery, Sequoia Nursery, or dozens of others, would be very welcome, as would gift certificates for local garden centers such as Urban Gardener, Habersham Gardens, Hill Street Garden Center, or even Pike's.

I love feeding the birds, so anything bird-related, like a new birdfeeder, birdbath, or even specialty birdfood would be a nice gift. Half a dozen suet cakes wrapped in a pretty ribbon would be fine.

One thing I would really like to have is hand trucks. Or a hand truck; I'm not sure of the correct nomenclature for this item, but I'd really like to have it to bring heavy pots into the basement for the winter.

Practical gifts would always be good for this particular gardener. One thing I use a lot of is rolls of green velcro, for tying up climbing roses and tomato plants, and it has become increasingly hard to find. A stocking full of velcro rolls would make an exceedingly fine present for me this year. Other people probably use equal amounts of jute or twine, and for people who like to work with bamboo structures I know that the black waxed twine is very hard to find, and sometimes expensive. And little packets of other useful things, like rooting hormone, would be handy. (I just lost mine somewhere in the yard.)

Some of the better garden catalogs have price tags associated with them, and many of us won't pony up for those. If you knew what catalogs your favorite gardener might like to see in the mail, you could spring for one or more of those, and that would be a nice little gift.

A gift need not cost money to be appreciated, at least not at my house. If someone were to bring me a few bags of pine straw that they raked up from their yard, or compost from their compost pile, or manure that they collected for me, I would know that they labored in love, and be very happy to have such a gift.

However, if a pickup truck were waiting in my driveway on Christmas morning, I would be ever so much more happy.

WestEnder, I love your list! I'm sure I have a list equally as long, but the one thing that comes to mind is pruners. It seems to me that even the good one's are only made to last about a year (the way I abuse them anyway), so I'd like a new pair of those every Christmas.

Just thought of something else. Good quality plant tags. I prefer the copper one's that are at least 12" tall.

So the longer I sit here, the more I will think of. I have a nice pair already, but for anyone who has roses "mud gloves" are a must! They have some sort of rubber coating on the outside that doesn't allow thorns to go through. They're a little pricey for gloves, $10 maybe, but well worth it.

I like the suggestions above. On the "less expensive" end of things are always fish fertilizer, emolient hand creams, rain guages, almost any new book from The Timber Press, sharpening stone/wet stone...
SOmetimes I give gifts I make myself. They can even be rather "silly" but given in a group, they are handy. One of them is "u" shape medium stuff wire pieces. They are great for anchoring down plants that need to root.

GGG

We exchanged wish lists last weekend and my husband took one look at mine and said, " doesn't look like I'll be seeing much of you when spring comes around!" my list had, pruners, hand cream, plant tags, trowel, a couple of gardening books........... guess i've got the bug!

You could try making some gifts too: paint some clay pots and include some seed packets, paint an address stone or garden sign, make interesting stepping stones, make candles with dried flowers in them or paint flowers on the candles, make handmade floral-scented soaps, paint wooden garden stakes, make clay garden stakes, make floral-scented lotions, etc.... The possibilities are endless.

Normally when my DH asks what I want to Christmas I have only one answer: clothes. I love clothes and don't get to buy them very often. Last year, however, I had something else on my list: edging spade. I got it! This year he just got me an early Christmas present by renewing my Fine Gardening magazine subscription.

Kathryn, if you've got a really good friend or sister you could get that subscription, it's such a fine magazine but so expensive. Membership to the Atlanta Botanical Garden is very nice. A corsican helleborus, helleborus foetidus or niger would be very cool. On the stocking-stuffer side, garden gloves make great presents because they get worn out or gross so quickly.

Westender I read this thread earlier today and loved your entry. (I suppose you already have a wheelbarrow!)

Rose

Man, oh man, what great ideas! Ya'll really came up with some great stuff and I know my friends would love any of these.

On the selfish side, I think I'll print this thread out and give it to my husband who always suffers from gift cluelessness.

To add to the list in case Santa's reading and he's got really deep pockets:
commercial grade chipper shredder,
dump truck load of compost and a hunky garden guy to spread it,
coated aluminum table and 6 chairs,
natural-looking stream running diagonally across back garden, and
enclosure of deck into 3 season's room.

Well, it doesn't cost a thing to dream! My real expectations are substantially less grand. I would love new gloves, clippers, and any pretty ceramic pot 8" or larger.

Amaryllis bulbs, precooled hyacinths, paperwhite narcissus.
For those friends who don't care to 'do' their own, the amaryllis can be potted, the hyacinths and paperwhites in containers with stones and water. These gifts don't have to be in bloom at Christmas. Part of the charm of the gift is watching them grow and the bloom unfold in the bleak days of January. Dedicated gardeners will plant them after bloom; they're a throw-away for those who can't.

One of my fav gifts last year was a sturdy bulb planter with a long handle. Post hole diggers are my other bulb planter of choice, for planting several bulbs in one hole.

Fiskars has all kinds of neat pruning tools, from tiny snippers to long handled shears and pruners.

Hummingbird feeders make great gifts and can range in price from a tiny feeder for a couple of dollars at the dollar store to a really grand one.

Nell

this company has a some unusual items at reasonable prices.
from bag balm and pruners to old fashioned tin ornaments and toys, i enjoy browsing the catalog for items other than those in the gardening category.
i got a folding shovel and trowel from there last year. makes it easy to store them under the seat of the vehicle or in the trunk. :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: lee valley tools

I also like bird related items. I've always wanted one of those Christmas wreaths that are covered in bird seed, so I could take it out and enjoy the show. You can make bird ornaments by smearing pinecones with peanut butter and seed. There are probably recipes for this online. If you have kids, it could be a fun project to do together.

I also like the amaryllis bulb idea.

I ordered garden flags with drawings my kids did in school this yr. (I got one for myself too.) They are for their grandmoms who love gardening. That way they can remember their grandchildren when they are working in their gardens. Think I will order one every yr for myself now. I hope they last forever!

The gardening flags sound like a great idea vnginger... where did you order them from?

ShellyGa,
I ordered them via school from Original Works. I think you can also order them direct via originalworks.com if you have your own pics. If you need their 800 #, email me directly. Good luck. I love the ones I got this Christmas. Unfortunately the posts do not come with the flags. So I have been looking for them. I will save the flags now for Mother's Day since I can't find the posts/stakes. Think once this Xmas thing is over, the stores will start bringing them out. Pike might have them too. I haven't checked. Good luck. tc

Windchimes are on my list. I recently got one from Corinthian Bells Company, and was told it is a "Cadillac of all windchimes". True or not, the sound is very sweet, and I intentionally touch them as I walk by to enjoy the lovely sound.
What are your favorite windchimes?
~Natalie

I like potted cyclamens in a pretty container.
Speciality books are nice too, such as ones specific to magnolias, hydrangeas, maples, ferns, azaleas...

This series of postings is great. I'm inspired. And want to share my experience with Felco pruners. Have had them for about 20 years - same pair. Give them a gentle sharpening when they don't cut like a knife into soft butter. BTW, I was able to buy left-handed ones. Fairly pricey - +$35 on Amazon, but they last forever. Hope this helps some of you.

Happy and blessed Holidays,
Rosie in Sugar Hill

Rosiew, I've heared about Felco pruners and really really! want a pair. Checked many retailers in the area, and no one carries them. Internet is probably the best bet.
Being a gardener for 10 years (happy anniversary to me :-)), I have learned that quality tools is the way to go. Skimping on quality, and getting cheap stuff time after time cost more money overall.
BTW, what is the best sharpening tool you use for the pruners?
Thanks!
~Natalie

BEST SHARPENING TOOL is a simple sharpening stone, which you can find at any good hardware store and probably at the BigBox. I wrote Natalie separately but want to share my love of the ergonomic hand pruner, Felco F8 for right handers, F 9 for lefties. Found them on Amazon for close to $39 with free shipping.

Blessed holidays to all of you,
Rosie in Sugar Hill

Frostproof.com has Felco 8's for $32. Very good prices and well known on Gardenweb as the place to go for Felco's.

Happy Holidays to all the Georgia gardeners!