GET GROWING: Not your average garden gift guide
My original plan for this column was to write a garden gift guide that showcased fun new garden tools and equipment for 2022. However, I realized that this does not align with my own gardening goals, nor with the values of many gardeners I know.
My goals are simple: to grow food in my vegetable garden and support pollinators and wildlife in the rest of my yard. And while doing this, I want to use less ‘stuff’, recycle more materials, save water and reduce plastic waste.
Below you will find a garden gift guide that keeps nature and sustainability in mind. For example, why not pick up a packet of marsh milkweed seeds from Annapolis Seeds? This showy, hardy perennial is the only native milkweed species in Nova Scotia and is also the larval host plant of monarch butterflies.
Swamp milkweed is easy to grow from winter-sown seeds. This means that the seeds you donated this December can be planted in garden beds or in milk jugs outside right after the holidays. The cold weather stratifies the seeds and causes spring germination.
And speaking of seeds, we have a lot of great local seed companies. Seed packets or a gift card to a favorite seed supplier make welcome gifts. Seed companies include Yonder Hill Farm, Annapolis Seeds, Halifax Seed, Cochrane Family Farm, Hope Seed, Incredible Seeds, Revival Seeds, Twisted Brook, and Sow Local Seeds.
When I replaced my back lawn with ornamental beds two years ago, I focused on planting native trees, shrubs and perennials sourced from local nurseries. A gift certificate to a Nova Scotia greenhouse is always appreciated. One can never have too many plants.
A high quality, durable gardening tool is another thoughtful gift. This is where a little research comes in handy, as most gardeners don’t need another trowel (trust me, I have 14 trowels). Instead, consider what type of gardening they like and also how long they have been gardening. Lifelong gardeners probably have a collection of tools, but only really use a few. My favorite tools include my Felco 2 hand pruners, my Lee Valley garden knife, and my long-handled aluminum watering can. I also love my waterproof gardening shoes, which are still going strong after four years.
There have been several excellent books by Maritime gardeners released in the last year or two. The latest is Gardening for Acidic Soils by Todd Boland and Jamie Ellison. It dives deep into how gardeners can work with nature to select trees, shrubs and perennials to create a beautiful, resilient landscape.
Grow Hope: A Simple Guide to Creating Your Own Food Garden at Home is the latest from award-winning author Elizabeth Peirce. It’s a down-to-earth guide that takes you from seed to table.
And if vegetable gardening is the goal, I’ve also written four books on the subject, including my latest Growing Under Roof: Techniques for a More Productive, Weather-Resistant, Pest-Free Vegetable Garden. And this year I released my first calendar, The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener 2023 Wall Calendar, a fun way to get inspired!
For garden and history buffs, there’s also the new release, The Halifax Public Gardens: The Creation, Destruction, and Restoration of North America’s Finest Victoria Public Gardens by Robert Pace, Robert Sarah, and Peter L. Twohig.
I saved the best for last, the gift of time. There are many thoughtful ways to lend a hand to your favorite gardener. For example, you can pull weeds, spread mulch, set up a rain barrel or help build a new raised bed. As the person who does 98 percent of the work in our garden, it’s great to have a helper for a few hours.
Niki Jabbour is the author of four best-selling books, including Growing Under Cover. Her latest project is The Year Round Vegetable Gardener 2023 Wall Calendar which is available now. Find her at SavvyGardening.com and on social media.
