By GEOFF MIERS
Warm the hearts of home owners, friends, family and kids with garden related gifts –plants, gardening books, garden furniture, sculptures, fire bowls and much more.
They tend to have a more personal touch: A living plant will continue to grow and every Christmas you are able to reflect back on who gave you that tree or shrub.
There are often many stocking fillers that can be found in your local nursery, items that add a little colour to the garden. Garden gnomes, decorative beetles, butterflies or bug sculptures to add to pots or things that may provide entertainment and activity for the kids over the Christmas break.
Don’t forget the colourful mini windmills or wind socks that will add colour to the garden setting, the patio or to the kids own garden.
Stick fairies and miniature mushrooms for the fairy garden are an absolute hit with young children. Wind chimes are another great gift that adds music to your garden and can be appreciated by all.
Plants of course make for great Christmas gifts as they are a living lasting present that can be appreciated for a few weeks to many years.
A special tree that will last for decades is most definitely a lasting gift, a hanging basket in full bloom will always please or even a punnet or small pot of petunias in full bloom make for a great visual display when planted out.
Alternatively an attractive indoor or patio plant with a very special decorative pot makes for a compact, practical and living gift that will please most.
Garden sculptures and water features are always a great gift idea as they both add a special charm and magic to the garden.
There are so many wonderful garden sculptures available today beyond the standard garden gnome. This isn’t meant to demean the garden gnome, I love them popping up in mysterious corners of the garden.
Metal and wire sculptures have increasingly become popular. To walk around a garden and find a parade of little ducks, a frill-necked lizard or a large Brolga near a water feature. They all add a little extra charm to the garden.
Wall art has increasingly become popular over the past few years or alternatively give consideration to garden furniture. Table and chairs, umbrellas, pool side seating and bench seats are only a few examples of popular garden furniture items.
For something quite different consider affordable table and chairs settings, a practical gift that may add to your patio setting or for some protected nook in your garden.
There’s nothing better than being outside with a cold drink on a summers day. A fun combie van or 1949 Ford truck insulated coolers/ eskies designed by Aaron Jackson and made from recycled metal make for useful, colour additions for outdoor living.
Made in Vietnam these items are colourful and can be used as an eskie, a container to hold toys or simply can sit in the garden as a sculpture.
For a central feature in the garden consider the Out of Africa Fire Bowls that can be used as a fire bowl, water feature or as a planter. They are bold and will last for decades.
As a great alternative to a living present, a water feature or a static sculpture then consider a gardening book. They can be fun, colourful and informative and can be taken with you when moving from one garden to another.
The range of gifts available in local nurseries is vast. Some are stocking fillers, some simply add summer cheer for the festive season while others add to the charm, mystic and character to the garden. To these add the practical gifts or the long lasting informative and colorful texts that you can carry with you as you move from one garden to another.