Garden-themed gift / poem
February 8, 2016 8:22 AM Subscribe
For my sister's milestone birthday, my gift is garden themed but I need your help.
Two part question.
1. Life is like a garden. There is sowing, nurturing, watching things/people/ideas/relationships grow and blossom. There is water/rain/sunshine involved. Etc. Can you point me toward a poem where this is expressed quite beautifully? If not a poem, an adage or quote, a couple lines or something?
2. Help me with gardening gift ideas. The recipient may not even have an actual garden (flowers, vegetables) planned for this year, but she keeps her yard looking very nice. I have an art piece that I'm sure she'll find an outdoor home for. Beyond that I was thinking a nice hand moisturizer (any recommendations?), and I'm not sure what else.
She has a large piece of property, loves things that are handmade (by me would be even better). Her children are pre-teen and, you know, she likes them :) She basically has more refined tastes than I do, so I'm hoping for your sophisticated input to make this gift awesome. She is thoughtful and generous-- Indeed like a gardener, and plus, usually tends a garden unless too busy.
I have some time to pull this together. All ideas are welcome and appreciated.
Two part question.
1. Life is like a garden. There is sowing, nurturing, watching things/people/ideas/relationships grow and blossom. There is water/rain/sunshine involved. Etc. Can you point me toward a poem where this is expressed quite beautifully? If not a poem, an adage or quote, a couple lines or something?
2. Help me with gardening gift ideas. The recipient may not even have an actual garden (flowers, vegetables) planned for this year, but she keeps her yard looking very nice. I have an art piece that I'm sure she'll find an outdoor home for. Beyond that I was thinking a nice hand moisturizer (any recommendations?), and I'm not sure what else.
She has a large piece of property, loves things that are handmade (by me would be even better). Her children are pre-teen and, you know, she likes them :) She basically has more refined tastes than I do, so I'm hoping for your sophisticated input to make this gift awesome. She is thoughtful and generous-- Indeed like a gardener, and plus, usually tends a garden unless too busy.
I have some time to pull this together. All ideas are welcome and appreciated.
Gardening is popular in the biffa household and the biffa MiL household, which means gardening present a plenty on the Xmas lists. Some things that have been gifted:
Quality gloves, comfortable and soft on the inside but durable on the outside, I strongly recommend waterproof or protected. I got a high tech pair last year and they are like sponges. Gloves are the yin to the hand cream yang.
An arty watering can, this might be more of a piece to sit rather than practical, since any size garden is likely to benefit from a hose for practical watering.
Fancy secateurs. My MiL gave my SO Laura Ashley ones, there are others out there.
Practical stuff: BiL gave me a big saw for chopping logs. My MiL gave me a small axe and a large axe. (She doesn't know I want them for the zombie apocalypse rather than gardening.)
Gardening calendar: This can be in book form, with reminders to do things as well as places for notes, or wall hang form.
Hedge trimmer. Cool if she has lots of hedges, bushes, shrubs, etc.
Little outdoor covered shelf unit for growing seedlings.
If in doubt, get down to your local gardening centre.
posted by biffa at 9:27 AM on February 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
Quality gloves, comfortable and soft on the inside but durable on the outside, I strongly recommend waterproof or protected. I got a high tech pair last year and they are like sponges. Gloves are the yin to the hand cream yang.
An arty watering can, this might be more of a piece to sit rather than practical, since any size garden is likely to benefit from a hose for practical watering.
Fancy secateurs. My MiL gave my SO Laura Ashley ones, there are others out there.
Practical stuff: BiL gave me a big saw for chopping logs. My MiL gave me a small axe and a large axe. (She doesn't know I want them for the zombie apocalypse rather than gardening.)
Gardening calendar: This can be in book form, with reminders to do things as well as places for notes, or wall hang form.
Hedge trimmer. Cool if she has lots of hedges, bushes, shrubs, etc.
Little outdoor covered shelf unit for growing seedlings.
If in doubt, get down to your local gardening centre.
posted by biffa at 9:27 AM on February 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
A sundial. You can get them that just sit flat in an area that gets sunlight. They are time oriented and lovely.
posted by Oyéah at 9:51 AM on February 8, 2016
posted by Oyéah at 9:51 AM on February 8, 2016
Perhaps a folding pruning saw? I have an older Silky, and it is amazingly powerful for its size--just the thing to carry in a pocket, and to use on an annoying branch.
posted by MonkeyToes at 12:43 PM on February 8, 2016
posted by MonkeyToes at 12:43 PM on February 8, 2016
Terrain has some very nice/classy garden gift ideas.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 12:50 PM on February 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by WalkerWestridge at 12:50 PM on February 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
It would help if we knew (aproximately) where she is located...ie what will grow there.
Bulb plants usually have weird/exotic flowers...you could get a bulb catalog, order a bunch of the prettiest ones, and then remove the label (leaving behind the care/cultivation instructions). Surprise flowers!
posted by sexyrobot at 4:37 PM on February 8, 2016
Bulb plants usually have weird/exotic flowers...you could get a bulb catalog, order a bunch of the prettiest ones, and then remove the label (leaving behind the care/cultivation instructions). Surprise flowers!
posted by sexyrobot at 4:37 PM on February 8, 2016
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Check out this cool garden art (fountains) from my home town.
posted by chapps at 9:15 AM on February 8, 2016