GIFT GUIDE: Presents that gardeners will really dig
DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR
MARBLE FALLS — Do you have someone with a green thumb on your Christmas list? Or even someone who aspires to have a green thumb?
Well, we’ve lined up some great ideas for you thanks to the assistance of a couple of Highland Lakes Master Gardener elves.
“Books are always good,” Karen Wilkens said. “They’re our resource.”
Some of the titles include “Texas Organic Gardening” by Howard Garrett and Malcom Beck.
“That’s my bible,” Wilkens said. “It’s really suited for Hill Country gardening. Another one is by Highland Lakes Master Gardener Bill Ludecke, ‘Gardening the Texas Hill Country.’ He’s got a lot of great tips in it.”
A great gift that continues showing up even after the Christmas paper and boxes are all cleaned up is a subscription to a gardening magazine. Wilkens loves her monthly copy of Texas Gardening.
Books can get people started or give them some knowledge, but there’s nothing like getting your hands dirty.
Master Gardener Beth Mortenson recommended a mushroom kit.
“It’s basically a small box; you pull the panels and pour in some water, and soon you have your own shitake mushrooms growing,” she said. “It’s fairly simple. There are more complicated ways to grow mushrooms, but this a great one for people who are just trying it out.”
Another idea that could get a gardener wriggling this Christmas is his or her own worm bin. Yeah, a worm bin. And it’s just what it sounds like.
A worm bin allows gardeners to raise their own worms, which, in turn, help make soil into great gardening material. The worms digest products in the soil and well, turn out the compost. Plus, a worm bin doesn’t raise as many eyebrows by your neighbors as a chicken-compost operation would (or probably as much stink).
While on the subject of compost, both Wilkens and Morteson added compost bins to their recommendations.
Compost bins allow plant materials to become great gardening soil additives with a little time and heat. There are several ways to make a compost bin, but you also can find lots of great commercially built ones to wrap up and put under the Christmas tree this year.
While you might think it takes a tiller or a hoe and a lot of physical energy to garden in the local soil, you might want to explore the world of raised gardening beds. Unlike traditional gardening, this gets you gardening above the natural ground.
The gardener on your list surely would appreciate a book on raised bed gardening and some raised bed materials.
“And don’t forget gardening tools,” Wilkens said. “Gardeners always love gardening tools.”
Also don’t forget the young gardener.
Getting kids out in the garden or interested in gardening might only take a few kid-sized tools, gloves and a seed starter kit.
“You can find seed kits at just about every gardening store,” Mortenson said. “They’re a great way to get kids interested in gardening because they can actually see the plants grown.”
She also pointed out that kids really love worms, so even they might appreciate a worm bin.
While gifts for under the tree are great, both Mortenson and Wilkens said another option is the gift of time. The Highland Lakes Master Gardeners have a garden next to The Helping Center of Marble Falls where they raise fresh vegetables for the food pantry.
One gift idea would be simply volunteering to help in the garden. You could also make a donation to the garden in the name of your favorite gardener.
“A donation like that or of time volunteering in the garden is something that would go beyond Christmas in helping people,” Wilkens said.
For more information on making a donation or getting involved, call Wilkens at (512) 789-3955.
For more gardening ideas, stop by one of the many local gardening stores or plant nurseries.
daniel@thepicayune.com