Inexpensive Gift Ideas for Gardening Pals #1


It is that time of year and you want to give wonderful, heart warming gifts to your dear friends...unusual and touching presents that acknowledge who they are and what they are into...not just hand cream.... right?

And you don't have a lot of money to spend and you would rather order now, from the computer, than go crazy in a crowded and crazed shopping scene...

So in that spirit I am going to suggest some inexpensive gift ideas for your gardening pals...the money limit is $15. and less for some fab ideas...

the market research is this:  If I want it then they will too.


and remember that the gift wrap is as important...  http://www.realcountryliving.com/ recommends getting flour sack dish towels and using them as gift wrap - two gifts in one! and no waste.

Here are some ideas ( click on the titles for the websites)




Enjoy a full year of Horticulture on one handy disc. This CD contains the 7 Horticulture issues published in 2008, reproduced in their entirety, appearing just as they did in print.  and best of  all: it is SEARCHABLE, PRINTABLE & PORTABLE
This keyword-searchable collection includes internal and external links — you can quickly flip between articles and instantly visit helpful Web sites. All articles are in PDF format, making them viewable on both PCs and Macs with Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher.


Practical advice

Turn to the Q&A column in each issue for help with common lawn and landscape problems. Get advice on hand saws, light stands and the home greenhouse. Learn to combine bulbs and other plants to best effect.

Inspiring gardens

Visit the Chocolate Flower Farm, Joy Creek Nursery and the rock garden at Plant Delights Nursery, as well as private gardens in New York, Alaska, Connecticut, Washington and England.

Outstanding plants

Echinacea, African daisies, flowering tobacco, unusual impatiens, violets and agaves were featured in 2008, along with many other ornamental and edible plants.





This high quality gift wrap from Amazon measures 20 by 28 inches each and is wonderful for mounting and even framing. Cavallini Papers has been producing high quality images on paper products for over 20 years. Images are taken from various museums and archives throughout the world.

Buy this and then go to Office Max (or more expensive Kinkos) and get it laminated and mounted on foam core board ...Voila! An inexpensive wall print....ready to hang...


Herb Garden Wheel  $7.50


Rotate this smart colorful wheel to plan your next culinary herb garden. Edited by one of America's leading horticulturists, Ruth Rogers Clausen, this waterproof wheel is packed front and back with herb gardening and cooking information and colorful photographs. For USDA Zones 4 to 8. (Diameter: 10 1/2 in.) 7.50




What every gardener wants but won't spend  the money to buy : soil enrichments. Organic SoilSyrup is the most concentrated organic material available for improved plant growth and soil improvement. SoilSyrup's rich organic makeup is incredibly beneficial for improving the growth of all plants and quickly revitalizing soils. SoilSyrup is a must-have to condition and activate the soil in potted plants and container gardening. With SoilSyrup, there's no need to go through the hassle and mess of changing potting soil, simply add SoilSyrup every time you water for healthier soil and better indoor gardening, container gardening, rose gardening and houseplant care. It's that easy.

Provides a rich supply of humus to your soil to greatly improve growing conditions in the soil and improve nutrient uptake. Simple to use liquid concentrate is a perfect addition to any fertilizing program for more effective fertilizing.




 A worm compost tea kit to  brew your own vermicompost tea.  6 tea baggies (enough to make 12 gallons of tea) in a nice little box. Worm compost tea - what every gardener dreams of (smile)...


Pikake Plant - Jasmine of Hawaii  $8.95


Familiar to world travelers who have spent time in Hawaii, this fragrant member of the Jasmine family is called the princess flower in the islands and is used in the famous Hawaiian lei. This is also the source of the floral flavoring in jasmine tea and the jasmine scent in many perfumes. Gently vining, evergreen plants with masses of fragrant white blooms, grow slowly and are well suited to containers. Pikake plants bloom from summer into fall and full sun produces the best flowering. Note:  Pikake ships early March through June, Priced for a sturdy plant in a 5.5" pot :

12-15" tall, spreads 10-12" wide, Full sun to light shade in very hot areas, USDA zones10-11 outside, anywhere indoors, Bloom Time:Summer into autumn




Comments

  1. Susan in the Pink HatNovember 21, 2010 at 1:01 PM

    Thanks, but I just want expensive gifts for the garden, which, of course means that I'm not getting any.

    ReplyDelete
  2. NathanNovember 21, 2010 at 1:18 PM

    Nice Blog. Keep up the excellent work. Visit our site and share some of your best gardening tips.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SamualNovember 23, 2010 at 6:16 AM

    Its a great Blog.Keep posting more.Because LED grow light emit very little in the way of heat, LED Grow Lights allow your plants to keep cooler.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Russian girlsNovember 24, 2010 at 8:27 AM

    The attractive offer. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  5. Elli D.November 24, 2010 at 10:12 AM

    Thanks for cool tips Jan. I may even use some for the Christmas!(though I am not too sure if a warm compost tea would be welcome :-)) btw I have never payed any attention to Pikake plant, but its picture looks amazing - so fragile and subtle, like metaphore of sensitivity.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jan JohnsenNovember 29, 2010 at 8:46 AM

    metaphor of sensitivity...love it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Katherine JoshMarch 3, 2011 at 10:56 AM

    I’ve been trying to exercise and drink more tea everyday. With www.geocities.jp/family_hong_kong/English/index.htm and these flowering teas, it’s been a breeze!

    Up til now, Jasmine Flower is my favorite!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousJuly 26, 2013 at 4:54 PM

    When I stepped into the showroom, I felt like I was in Provence. The scent of lavender and the sound of running water from the antique limestone fountain along with the incredible selection of French garden antiques were really impressive. If you are looking for very large garden ornaments, French planters, etc. this is the showroom to visit. A total of 15,000 square feet of the most incredible French garden antiques, French limestone fountains, fireplace mantels and the most selective collection of planters from France with immediate availability. Each piece feels real, the atmosphere is so calming and rural. A true and unique gem to be found in West Palm Beach! Their website is www.authenticprovence.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. MarlinJuly 25, 2018 at 5:22 AM

    This is one of the best articles with complete information. I got the best information here .Thanks for Sharing

    ReplyDelete
  10. new blog ideasApril 24, 2019 at 3:29 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Hi there! I would love to hear from you....

Popular Posts of all Time

Angelface Blue and Dark Violet Angelonia - a Flower that Keeps Giving

Image
(Angelonia with Helichrysum, petunia, Johnsen Landscapes) Blue is everyone's "favorite color."  It is, hands down, the most popular color worldwide and is the least "gender specific" color, having equal appeal to both men and women. Now Purple is giving blue a run for its money as the second favorite color.... Blue is the favored color for toothbrushes, so that says it all!  ( this info is from a great website: Sensation Color ) but can purple be far behind? Scientists have found that the color blue causes the body to produce chemicals that are calming. This may be why we all like to be around blue....stare at this square and see if it calms you. In fact, over the past decade, scientists have reported the successful use of blue light in the treatment of psychological problems such as addictions, eating disorders, impotence, and depression. Moreover, a deep blue/purple such as Indigo or Deep Violet symbolizes mystical wisdom and spiritual insight. It incr
Read more

Planting Design for Dry Gardens by Olivier Filippi

Image
Do you garden in a dry area?  I love this teaching approach by Olivier Filippi. 1: Salvia chamaedryoides 2: Rhodanthemum hosmariense 3: Artemisia abrotanum 'Silver' 4: Phlomis 'The South' 5:  Senecio vira-vira 6: Salvia fruticosa 7: Salvia leucophylla 8: Artemisia lanata This photo and information is from a French website that I cannot translate into English. It is by the authority on dry gardens, Olivier Filippi, and is very good. Check it out:    http://www.jardin-sec.com/ Also he wrote a great book called 'Planting Design for Dry Gardens'.  Nigel Dunnett says,  "In  Planting Design for Dry Gardens  Olivier Filippi has charted a future for garden and planting Design. Combining authoritative practical advice with deep ecological insight, Olivier shows how learning from nature can give us the best of all worlds: beautiful and sustainable gardens with a unique sense of place. I challenge anyone
Read more

'Purple Smoke' - The best Baptisia

Image
Try  planting  Baptisia 'Purple Smoke'.  And pair it with Baptisia Cherries Jubilee. A deer resistant, native, drought tolerant, purple, long lived perennial! Wow! Photo - Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden - Puple Smoke Baptisia and Carolina Moonlight Baptisia It is a hybrid of  B. australis  and  B. alba and is a vigorous grower.   Discovered by Rob Gardener of the North Carolina Botanical Gardens, it has charcoal-gray stems and is purple.   Baptisia is a native perennial that has a long taproot, loves sunny sites with lean or poor soil. Average to dry soil is best.  Its deep tap root allows it to survive long dry periods, making it a challenge to move once it is established.  Purple Smoke from Bluestone Perennials The flowers resemble lupines and are smoky violet. Numerous flowers open first at the base of the flower stalk in May and ascend upwards, topping out at 4.5' tall. It has fine textured, blue-green foliage.  The flowe
Read more

No-Fail Tips for Turning Hydrangeas Blue!

Image
(photographer - unknown) Everyone wants Blue Hydrangeas.  The rarity of naturally blue flowers is an irresistible draw to gardeners.  How to Turn Your Hydrangeas Blue?  Here are a few tips from Proven Winners: Nikko Blue Hydrangea from Missouri Botanical garden 1. Be sure you’re working with the right kind of hydrangea.  You must have a Hydrangea macrophylla or H. serrata to have pink or blue flowers.  (photographer -unknown) 2. Aluminum availability determines flower color. The availability of aluminum makes the flowers turn blue. Without aluminum the blooms will be pink.  Soil pH must be low or acid (5.2-5.5) for the plant to absorb the aluminum. from nely.bluehortensia blogspot.com 3. Color changes need time to take effect.  Consistent treatment is necessary to  turn your hydrangeas blue:  Plant your hydrangeas in a phosphorous-free medium, and use a phosphorus-free fertilizer with lots of potassium (i.e. 25-5-30). PHOTO BY DEBOR
Read more

Repurposed and Recycled - Creative Ideas for Garden Design

Image
Nothing like piano keys to liven up a garden space....(above photo from Stone Art Blog) Recycling can be many things to many people... or, in other words,   " One man's trash is another's man treasure" from Stone Art Blog This piano was placed here in the garden. Here is what Sunny Wieler of Stone Art Blog wrote about this: "Besides being a passionate gardener, my dad is also a passionate piano player, so a few years back we got him a new piano for his birthday. So the old piano spent a while in the shed before he had the great idea to put it out in the garden..." Little did Sunny's dad know that he was at the forefront of the conceptual art movement:...they would say something like this is a testament to the natural decomposing processes, a statement of the fragility of life, the impermanence of existence... his dad would say, 'Hey, why not put it in the garden?" photos of broken concrete from Bourget Bros web
Read more

The Magnificent Purslane - Edible Landscaping at its best!

Image
What was one of Mahatma Gandhi's favorite foods?  and what did Henry Thoreau eat while residing at Walden Pond?  PURSLANE . Purslane, long considered an obnoxious weed in the U.S., is, in fact, full of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids!  And now this overlooked gem - considered 'one of the most nutritious greens in the world' -  is receiving the attention it is due. Usha Palaniswamy of the Department of Plant Science, University of Connecticut, reports that, "Purslane is receiving much attention for cultivation by the United States Department of Agriculture as part of their effort to bring about a modification in the western diet with increased intake of fresh fruits and vegetables." Purslane contains a high concentration of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), one of the highly sought-after Omega-3 fatty acids. It has several times the concentration of ALA than is found in spinach.  So throw away those fish oil capsules and grow your own Omega-3 fatty acids! It
Read more

My one day Class Wednesday April 16 in NY - Jan Johnsen

Image
I am teaching a one day class on Wednesday April 16 at the NY Botanical Garden  It is a fun, eye opening and fun class!            (class size is limited.) I  share my insights into landscape design and how to use various cultural and ancient traditions in a garden. I discuss how to use the compelling duality of Yin and Yang in a setting, explain how each of the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) affects us differently, which proportions create a more harmonious setting.  I also show how to place rocks in the landscape according to the Japanese understanding. Everyone loves this. and of course, I discuss Color and its effects on our wellbeing... I show 2 beautiful powerpoint to illustrate my talk..  Handouts reinforce the information I provide. Here is what students have written: No wonder you were instructor of the year! Your talk was delightful, Jan. You gave us all a thoughtful, colorful start to planting season. I have some great
Read more