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Garden Gifts: Planters, pots and watering cans are the tip of the topsoil for the gardener on your list
Journal Photo by Walt Unks
The sun will always be shining in the garden with this cast cement wall plaque, available at House of Plants.
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Published: November 6, 2009
All a gardener needs is a spade, a fork, a trowel and a good pair of pruners. But what a gardener needs and what a gardener wants are two different subjects.
Manufacturers recognize the popularity of gardening, and there is no end to the gifts, gadgets and accessories associated with the craft. I visited a few Winston Salem garden shops to see what I could find for those with gardeners on their holiday gift lists. I limited myself to two items per visit -- not an easy task, I assure you.
On the practical side, I found a roll of deer fencing ($22.95) at The Potting Shed (4725 Yadkinville Rd, Pfafftown). It could be used as a fence, but it could also serve as a cover for fruiting trees and shrubs as they ripen. The product is 7 feet wide, 100 feet long and made of ¾-inch black polypropylene mesh.
The self-watering planter ($13.99) by The Violet Pot, also found at The Potting Shed, walks a line between practical and decorative. African violets are finicky about watering. They need moisture, but too much and the results are disastrous. The self watering pot consists of a pot with an
unglazed, porous bottom that sits inside another glazed pot which serves as a reservoir. The reservoir can be filled through a funnel hole in the side of the pot. "I hate gimmicks" said Eva Miller, the owner of The Potting Shed, "but these things really do work."
If you ever tried raking leaves among the plants in a complicated perennial border, you quickly learn that the spacing between plants does not often equal the width of a garden rake. The gardener is left with torn leaves or little piles of debris that have to be removed by hand. Enter the expandable garden rake ($17) available at the Garden Boutique (100 Reynolda Village). The metal rake has a locking slider that can determine the width.
Even if you have an automatic irrigation system or water primarily with a hose, there is always a need for a good watering can (12.99 to $29.99). OXO makes a great one. It can be found in three sizes at LA Reynolds Garden Showcase (4400 Styers Ferry Rd.). It has every feature a good can should have, including an easily readable measure on the side of the can when adding fertilizer. Made of sturdy plastic, the spout folds over the can to save space.
Decorative items abound at the shops. Items for as little as a few dollars to several hundred can be found. Shoppers will find a wall of decorative, cast-cement and wrought-iron wall plaques at the House of Plants (507 Harvey Street). Lions, suns, cherubs and flower baskets are among the dozens of choices that can be used to dress up a fence or decorate any entrance to the garden.
Oak and Barrel's handmade birdfeeders and houses resemble Early American dovecotes and come in a range of sizes. (Item in photo is $258). They are trimmed in copper and made of wood and weather-resistant PVC. They can fit on a standard 4-by-4 lumber post or you can buy a PVC post. They are available at LA Reynolds.
Head out to The Briar Patch (2366 Stratford Rd) to find labels for the herb garden in a beautiful gift case. All the culinary herbs are on these painted labels.
A quick solution to a large plant in an ugly plastic pot is to put it inside a decorative wrought-iron basket ($36). Garden Boutique has them in white, black and a pewter grey. The basket also elevates the pot off the floor.
There is nothing quite like the sound of water in a garden, but fountains ($72) can be a lot of trouble and often they are just too overblown. House of Plants has a simple and beautiful solution in small copper fountains that fit inside any water-holding container. You just add water and plug them in. The designs are a lotus, a butterfly and a hummingbird, and each spills water over itself in a pleasing pattern. "I find fountains problematic, but these are maintenance free," said owner Mary Boneno. "They easily go in sunrooms and can fit in about any size container."
Rabbits and bears in moss form can be found at The Briar Patch with ivy trained upon them. (Item in photo is $52). They are great little natural statues to nestle among a collection of paperwhites and amaryllis to brighten the gardener's winter.
One final note: All these shops have wonderful plants. I've never met a gardener who doesn't like those.
If you have a gardening question or story idea, write to David Bare in care of Features, Winston-Salem Journal, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27101-3159, or send e-mail to his attention to gardening@wsjournal.com.
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