Aug 012011
- Six spectacular lily bulbs
- Good garden hat that doesn’t look goofy. Try Coastal Garden Hats, Kate’s Garden, and Tilley Endurables for classic shapes in hardworking fabrics
- Hour-long consultation with a garden designer
- Antique garden tools and collectibles (scour junk shops, yard and farm sales and country antique stores)
- Jaunty assortment of big cotton bandanas (for the neck, head, back pocket)
- Leaf shredder
- Pretty floral garden apron and kneeler
- Gift certificate to the best local nursery
- Whimsical piece of garden sculpture
- The most comfortable lounger or hammock you can find (the most expensive isn’t always the comfiest)
- Classic reference book: Reader’s Digest A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants
- Armload of spring flowers delivered in January
- Super-deluxe gardening gloves
- Compost tea maker
- One-hour professional massage right after spring planting or fall cleanup
- Top-quality pocket pruner
- All-expenses-paid european garden tour (Britain-France-Italy). From $4,000; ask at botanical gardens, horticultural societies or travel agents, or visit www.icangarden.com.
- Fresh herbs in a beautiful pot for the kitchen windowsill
- Antique English lead urn (not for those who faint at high prices)
- Bug-proof gear for spring-those hilarious-looking hats and jackets will give you the last laugh when black flies bite
- Assortment of real, old-fashioned bushel baskets
- Fancy slougher and softening cream duo for gardener’s hands. Try Gardeners 60-Second Fix from Crabtree & Evelyn
- Membership to a botanical garden or subscription to a scholarly garden journal, such as the Royal Horticultural Society’s The Plantsman
- Really great gardening clogs
- An appointment with a landscape maintenance company for a big spring or fall cleanup
- Sturdy sweater for cool weather chores. If you’re not scared of vintage, nothing beats a 1950s or 1960s curling cardigan with Canadian outdoor motifs
- Botanical prints, nicely framed. (Aldona’s 18th-century prints came from an auction, but try flea markets, estate sales or even making your own)
- Wall fountain (preferably old and marble). Check architectural antiquarians (but not if four figures makes you blanch)
- Indoor grow light unit
- Glamorous, top-quality Victorian conservatory. $40,000 to sky’s the limit. Or, a miniature version filled with houseplants is just as nice! For a full-sized conservatory, try) Tropical Sunrooms and Classic Wood Conservatories
- Zinc or lead plant markers to add a classy, stately home touch
- Supple, black, rubber soaker hose
- Garden-inspired knobs and pulls. $2.95 (shown on next page)
- Colourful rain barrel
- Hand tool sharpener
- The services of a professional arborist to give shrubs or trees a good pruning
- Pretty vegetable-based soaps
- Garden lighting (do-it-yourself set or installed)
- Gorgeous weather vane, sensational sundial or beautiful bird bath
- A truckload of triple mix.
- Fancy bath salts (or a season’s worth of Epsom salts in a handsome galvanized bucket)
- Water timer for your hose
- Flower-power beads
- Donation to a charitable relief agency ($60 buys fruit trees for an African family)
- A subscription to Canadian Gardening magazine.
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