MENUHappy Holidays & Holiday Gift Ideas
The winter holidays will soon be upon us, and with them comes the often stressful task of selecting just the right gift for everyone on your list. First, let me be one of the first to wish you Happy Holidays. Then let me give you some gift ideas for family and friends who take pride in their landscapes and spend time and/or money making them look spectacular.
Those on your gift list who take pride in their landscapes but prefer to hire out the heavy and technical work, a Birchcrest Tree & Landscape gift certificate would be appreciated. The certificate can be applied to any service we offer. Pruning trees while they’re dormant this winter would be a good investment. Or they may prefer a professional lawn care or Plant Health Care (PHC) program. May I also suggest giving a pruning, lawn care and/or PHC program as a gift to yourself as well.
Friends and family who enjoy gardening and working in their yards would be delighted with a gift card from their favorite garden center. It’ll help them when they go to buy spring plants, tools, containers, and all the materials they’ll need to successfully turn their landscape into a showcase. They may also want to use it for one of the new lightweight, ergonomic tools now on the market.
For more instant gratification, may I suggest a gardening book. Several good and useful books have been published recently, and then there are some classics that are still relevant. A classic that’s always a great read is Slow Gardening by Felder Rushing. Its message is that it’s OK to landscape your yard to suit your taste and personality rather than your neighbors’, and it offers advice for doing that. Another book to consider is The Nature of Oaks: The Nature of Our Most Essential Native Tree. Author Douglas W. Tallamy writes about the importance of oak trees to our environment.
Two new books that people you know may enjoy are The Urban Garden: 101Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City, by Kathy Jentz and Teri Speight and Groundcover Revolution by Kathy Jentz. The Urban Garden’s title is a bit of a misnomer. The ideas apply to small space gardens regardless of where they’re located. Ground Cover Revolution is for those who want to replace all or part of their lawns. Last but not least, consider The Geriatric Garden: Adaptive Gardening Advice For Seniors for those on your list who are feeling that the aches and pains of old age is putting a crimp on their favorite activity. Local garden writer Duane Pancoast provides tips on adapting gardens and gardening so the reader can continue doing what they love.
Google the title of the book(s) you want to order. You can order Birchcrest gift certificates by calling 585.671.5433, and for garden center gift cards, your best bet is to call or visit the garden center. Since it’s the middle of December, all the gift suggestions I’ve presented here are easy to obtain last minute. I hope you have a happy and less stressful holiday season.
