Gifts for the gardeners on your list

Is there anything more cliche - more December - than a great gifts for gardeners" article? The standard writer's wish list: pruners (Felco brand if you're in love, Fiskars or Corona if you're practical); a birdbath, a seed-starting kit.

But not this year. This year, we (well, I) polled some local notable gardeners to find out their favourite (or dream) gardening gift.

There's the gardening equivalent of a Ferrari in the driveway: A Hartley greenhouse to overwinter tender plants and coddle plants new and old through the rest of the year. That five-figure-after-a-dollar-sign idea came up from a couple of our correspondents. But on a more practical note:

Tara Nolan is a Dundas-based garden writer and author of two excellent garden books (Raised Bed Revolution," just released in paperback, and Gardening Your Front Yard"). I mean, a Hartley greenhouse would be amazing," she said with a laugh to begin our conversation.

But on a more realistic level, she loves a pair of gauntlet-length rose gloves that her sister gave her for a previous Christmas. They're a suede-leather material that resists thorns and prickles. She uses them a lot in her garden, not just for her one rose bush but for the invasive, weedy thistles that have been springing up there.

Nolan's favourite gardening tool - that she'd recommend for any gardener - is a weed or garden knife. They have a wide blade that's almost like a trowel. Both sides are sharpened and one is serrated. They can be used for weeding (gets out deep tap roots), cutting (turf or perennial divisions) and digging. I also have one and it's invaluable. The original Japanese version is called a Hori Hori knife, but there are several generic and house brands. Make sure any you buy are sturdy and feel strong.

Barbara McKean is head of education at Royal Botanical Gardens and an avid gardener. She and husband John Hannah have a Hamilton garden that is focused on sustainability (featured in The Spectator in June 2021), and they are intensely focused on plants, many of them native, that support populations of beneficial insects and attract birds, butterflies and pollinators.

She is a huge fan of Doug Tallamy, an American entomologist, ecologist and conservationist who's also the author of at least four highly-regarded books. Bringing Nature Home" (2007) is considered a bible of sorts in the sustainable-gardening community. This year, McKean wants his most recent book, The Nature of Oaks." (John Hannah pointed out to me last year that an oak tree will support 400 varieties of insects; a trendy gingko from Asia supports - are you ready? - none.)

Barb also needs a gardening glove, much like the pair that Tara Nolan likes. And, yes, she actually only needs one. She had a pair; one disappeared. She has discovered that pruning, especially her roses, is hard to do with just one protected hand.

Dave Cummins - Dundas gardener, grower and co-author of The Rusty Rake Gardener" - got his greenhouse a few years back. It had been on his Christmas list for years but he ended up giving one to himself as a retirement gift. He loves it - and it beats the roll plastic he used to stretch over a homemade A-frame.

So his favourite Christmas present, from the family, is a cordless mini chainsaw (specifically a Stihl GTA26 pruning saw). It's a couple of hundred dollars but you can even tote it around in a holster. Cummins swears by it. Cathy, his wife, gardening partner and co-author, likes the Hori Hori garden knife. It, like Barb McKean's glove, has disappeared so they will get another - and a carry case so he can keep track of it in their garden and at RBG's High Hill garden where he volunteers. The Cummins also recommend a long-arm pruner, preferably a telescoping version. Gift certificates to local nurseries or Lee Valley Tools (the toy store for serious, grown-up gardeners) would be welcomed by anyone with a green thumb, as would a copy of The Toronto and Golden Horseshoe Gardener's Journal," a garden diary/calendar/scheduler full of tips and a source list, now in its 31st year. (I buy a copy almost every year. It's brilliant.)

Candy Venning, another avid and extraordinary gardener, a landscape designer and maker of many beautiful gardens, offers a few ideas for the planty people" in your life.

• A family membership or donation to the Royal Botanical Gardens. Always my first choice; you will have free access to all the gardens, access to discounted classes and lectures, first pick at ticketed events, year-round access to beautiful trails and free parking. It's also just great having a membership to the most beautiful and fun club around, where other members include reptiles, deer and countless birds."

• A gift card with a twist, if you love someone and you want to spoil them - a gift card for a local nursery and a promissory note to plant / install the shrub tree or perennials they choose. Bonus points for driving them there"

• Hori Hori knife - my absolute favourite hand tool!"

• Secateurs - Japanese ones at specialty shops or online but you can't go wrong with the classic, standard Felco #2 pruners."

• Watering cans made by Haws are not cheap but they are a beautiful and well made, lifetime gift. The small, indoor version is really a joy to use. A second-hand larger model might be found on an online marketplace: A worn patina is entirely appropriate in a watering can."

• An online garden consult. Yes, this is a service Candy provides and as such she didn't go into detail but if you know someone struggling with a big or small space including balconies or native plant converts - send me an email or find me on Instagram @vennigardens for more info."

Rob Howard lives and gardens in Hamilton. He owns a slightly ridiculous amount of garden tools, gardening books and garden gear." He is always looking for more. gardenwriterRob@gmail.com