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.
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.
Cultivate mushrooms. There are companies that supply kits.
posted by No Robots at 10:08 AM on December 17, 2013
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
posted by mudpuppie at 10:10 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
posted by Bardolph at 10:28 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
posted by mudpuppie at 10:40 AM on December 17, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 10:02 AM on December 17, 2013 [1 favorite]