15 ~ Friday, December 9, 1988 - North Shore News

Gardening gifts may sol
a present-buying dilem

CHRISTMAS IS a wonder-
ful time of the year. Full of
warmth, love, kindness, and
understanding; so why do [
always feel so bad if
Christmas is so good?

The answer lies in another ques-
tion; ‘‘What should we get so-
and-so for Christmas?” or even
worse, ‘What do you want for
Christmas?” How should I know?
Your brother wants a Porsche,
your dad could use a world cruise,
and I would love to have the body
of a 20-year-old.

So, now that we have made the
trip to fantasyland, let’s get real. Is
it going to be socks or a tie for
dad? If we get your brother
another bottle, maybe he’l! forget
the Porsche. And I’m sure I could
use a desk set for the office. Ho
hum.

Even if you overlook the ob-
vious exaggerations, I think you
can see my point. I offer the fol-
lowing list of gift ideas for the
gardener with relief of this unnec-
essary stress in mind.

The best gifts are those that the
receiver desperately wants and yet
would never think of buying. A
shovel is a good example of the
**Gee whiz, thanks dear” category
of present. A stainless steel spade
made by Spear & Jackson of
England is guaranteed to be met
much more enthusiastically.

Nobody, but nobody makes
quality garden paraphernalia like
the Brits. Everything from
aluminum plant labels to that Rolls
Royce of watering cans, the
Hawes.

Put me in a shop with a good
selection of garden gadgets from
the U.K. and you may need to root
prune me to get me out.

Don’t be afraid of the unusual;
sometimes the oddest gift can
become the most memorable and
the most appreciated. I saw some
great bronze faucets the other day;
just the thing for that hose bib in
the middle of the herb garden.

There are sun dials, copper wind
chimes, teak garden furniture, pH
test kits and meters, bonsai tools
and pots, seed starter kits, indoor
lights and more for the under-the-
tree gifts, while plant labels, prun-
ing knives, dibbles (?), etc. can
make perfect stocking stuffers.

If you have a friend suffering
from arthritis, wrap up a set of

Keep Xmas
safe for kids

MAKE SURE decorations don’t
wind up in children’s mouths.

They should be flame-resistant,
non-combustible and should not
conduct electricity.

Do not use the decoration
‘angel hair’’ together with spray-
on snow — the combination is
highly combustible, according to
the Canada Safety Council.

Teach children not to eat any
part of Christmas plants such as
holly, Jerusalem Cherry, mistletoe
and poinsettia; they can cause ir-
ritation and vomiting.

over the
garden gate

Geoff Tobiasson

stainless steel hand tools by Allen
Simpson or Taylor. They are built
to last and the unique hand grip

can re-institute gardening as a
pleasant experience.

Books are good.

Take a look at recent publica-
tions by John Brookes: The
Garden Book, The Country
Garden Book, and The Indoor
Garden Book. For the herb
gardener there’s Herbs: Gardens,
Decorations, and Recipes by
Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead.

Others include The Wreath
Book by Rob Pulleyn, Decorating
With Dried Flowers by Malcoim
Hillier, Wild Flowers of the Pacific
Northwest by Lewis J. Clark, and
many more.

Old style botanical drawings and
prints are currently in vogue.
There are a number of beautiful
posters and limited edition prints
that would make wonderful gifts.

Look for the works of Lyn No-
ble, a local artist who has done
some lovely work on_ botanical
drawings of alpines and other
plant materials.

INTERIORS

Gardener’s calendars and jour-
nals fit my perception of what a
good gift should be.

It is unlikely that an individual
would buy one of these for
themselves, but all gardeners
would appreciate a nice place to
write notes and records relating
specifically to this year’s garden
projects.

There are two garden stores in
Vancouver which stand out as
good sources for quality garden
equipment that is both unique and
worth considering as a gift: Avant
Gardener at 1448 Marine Drive in
West Vancouver and Earthrise
Garden Store of 2954 West Fourth
Ave. in Vancouver. Both are worth
visiting even if you don’t buy
anything.

ve
a

T should also include vhe gift
shop at Van Dusen Botanical
Gardens. Although the selections
are more limited than the above,
they too offer a good selection of
solutions to the annual gift giving
dilemma.

And while you’ re visiting the gift
shop, give someone a special treat
and take them to see the annual
‘Festival of Lights Show.’ Over
five acres of the garden are
transformed into a sparkling
wonderland from § p.m. to 9:30
p.m. daily.

The event runs from Tuesday,
Dec. 13 to Sunday, Jan. 1 (ex-
cluding Christmas Day).

Admission is $2 for adults, $4
family (parents and children) or ‘$1
for seniors and VBGA members.

ALL SILK PLANTS

& TREES

(1 WEEK ONLY)
CHRISTMAS SALE

Jungle Interiors is

Canada's largest

retailer of silk plants &

trees, with over 150

varieties available to
complete your interior

decor.

Soa of ‘silk’ plants & accessories

Ee cn]
Ee
TemORS
a,

MARU DRIVE

ry
vent

| LtONS

985-9859

Mon,-Sat. 9-5:30
Sun. 12-5