Help with gift for Dad
December 17, 2013 10:01 AM   Subscribe

I need help finding a Christmas gift for my dad. I'm looking for: - Something that requires occasional hands on -- a project, but not a full-time project - Something a little science-projecty and geeky, but that does not involve a computer (he's 72 and not terribly computer literate; he does have an iPad, though) - Something that has a definable end result - Something he can attend to while my folks spend three months in their RV this winter - Most likely something plant-related More...

I was thinking something along the lines of a kit that helps you hybridize vegetables (tomatoes or peppers), or maybe a kit that helps you clone orchids, or a kit that lets you graft one thing onto something else, or something like that that requires some high-level gardening skills and some engineering. (He's a retired engineer. Oh, and he's already done some tomato grafting, so I don't want to duplicate that.)

He already does tomato seedlings when they park their RV in Arizona from January-March. I'd like to find something else along those lines that he can fiddle with. Google isn't helping me, and I need some additional ideas.

I've read the archives and posts with the 'gift' tag. No one here has ever shopped for my father, apparently.
posted by mudpuppie to Home & Garden (7 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
bonsai tree?
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 10:02 AM on December 17, 2013 [1 favorite]


Cultivate mushrooms. There are companies that supply kits.
posted by No Robots at 10:08 AM on December 17, 2013


Response by poster: The mushroom thing would be perfect -- that's the kind of thing I'm looking for -- buy my parents don't like mushrooms. :(
posted by mudpuppie at 10:10 AM on December 17, 2013


Aerogarden? Indoor salad garden?
posted by MonkeyToes at 10:16 AM on December 17, 2013


Small-scale homebrewing is not plant-related, but otherwise fits your criteria.
posted by Bardolph at 10:28 AM on December 17, 2013


Maybe a weather station?
posted by amtho at 10:32 AM on December 17, 2013


Response by poster: Thanks all. He already did homebrewing (at home, not in the RV) and has a weather station. I think I'm going with the tissue culture -- that's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
posted by mudpuppie at 10:40 AM on December 17, 2013


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