For:
Saturday, Dec. 8, 2001
By: Daniel E. Mullins
Extension Horticulture
Agent
Santa Rosa County
There is a rule in my family that covers holiday gift giving. The rule is, and I quote: “don’t give me anything to work with!” This all had its beginning long ago with gifts of household items with attached cords. So, for the past 40 years, cooking and cleaning devices have never been found under our family’s Christmas tree.
Gardening gifts are gratefully accepted, on the other hand. We love any new tool, device, plant or book that makes our pastime more enjoyable. So, if you are looking for a gift for someone who likes to dig in the dirt (excuse me –soil), some suggestions follow.
The gift of a plant is likely the first to come to mind. When looking for a special plant gift however, try to be more original. The classic holiday plants like poinsettias, cyclamen and kalanchoe make great gifts, but also consider a landscape or patio plant – something that can be enjoyed for years to come.
There are many possibilities including an ornamental tree, shrub or perennial. I recently found a perennial that was new to me and selected it for a friend. It attracted my attention because it produced red flowers all summer long, and as of late November, continues to show color. The plant is Salvia gregii, commonly known as autumn sage.
Selecting a plant based upon your knowledge of its performance locally, or because you know that the person receiving it especially likes that kind of plant, adds a personal touch.
Gardening tools make welcome gifts. Remember when shopping that there are tools, and then there are tools. There are two grades – homeowner and commercial. If the recipient is an occasional gardener who doesn’t subject tools to extraordinary use, then the less expensive model might be fine. On the other hand, if the person is a hard-core, frequent gardener then the commercial grade, or more expensive tool is recommended.
Browsing at nurseries and garden centers will lead to many other possibilities for the gardener. Examples include an unusual decorative pot, plant growing light, an apron, sprayer or gardening cart. Don’t be afraid to give a gardener something out of the ordinary.
Note: Last call for establishing cool season flowers and vegetables. Plants remain available at some gardening outlets. There is still time to establish these flowering plants: pansy, snapdragon, petunia, China Doll carnation, and Shasta daisy. Look for bedding plants of these vegetables and transplant them to the garden: broccoli, cabbage, onions and strawberry. Plant seeds of beets, carrots, kohlrabi, mustard and radish.
Question of the Week: Each item seen in this space is a real question, usually from the previous week.
Can mustard and turnips be planted at any time during the winter?
Answer: Mustard can be planted from September through May, while the recommended planting dates for turnips are January through April and August through October. Both prefer cool weather and short days.