Holiday Gift Guide part 2

Gift number 6
A subscription to a fine Horticultural Journal.

Memberships to plant societies often will include a quarterly, or annual journal, and many of these are very nice, such as the four-color quarterly of the American Primula Society, the color journal of the Americal Daffodil Society, or the Gesneriad Society. My personal favorites are the quarterly printed Bulletin of the North American Rock Garden Society, the bi-annual of the Scottish Rock Garden Society, or the UK’s premier alpine publication which comes free with membership to the Alpine Plant Society, THE ALPINE GARDENER. There are a few other magazine type of journals, such as ORCHIDS, which comes free with membership to the American Orchid Society, and the Royal Horticultural Societys publications, THE GARDENER, and their premier publication, THE PLANTSMAN. These are a little costly, although THE GARDENER is included free with membership to the RHS, THE PLANTSMAN will cost around $80.US if you live in the USA. Still, the best journal is a scientific one, CURTIS’s BOTANICAL JOURNAL, which can be delivered quarterly via the Blackwell site, where one can get every science journal from NATURE to SLUGS. CURTIS’s is the classic, with frameable color prints which it has featured since the 1700’s, this is one of the world’s oldest magazines, I mean…Darwin spent nights on the Beagle reading issues to pass the time away! CURTIS’s is where one will find the announcement of the discovery of a new species. All of these make incredible gifts, and these are all the sort of publications one saves for their entire life, and then passes on to their college library or plant society. I’ve bought a few collections at plant society auctions, to fill in gaps.

Number 7
An Authentic HAWS Watering can

I can never have enough of these!! Haw’s are the best. Even the vintage ones on ebay are nice, if you can afford them. This is the sort of gift that gets better with age, and there are only a few things that so that, mainly Stieff Teddy Bears,, Red Wing Biker Boots, Japanese Maples, Cast Iron Pots and Haw’s watering cans. When you die, these are the thigns relatives either fight over or they go to eBay. Sure, they cost nearly a hundred dollars each, but the list to rationalize their purchase is just as long. They last forever, they get better with age, they look incredible, one can never have enough, blah blah blah……by me one Joe ( I need the small copper one).

Number 8
A new gardening book From Timber Press ( They all are good), but check out thier newest releases like this book on Succulents by Gwen Kelaidis.

Number 9
A gift Certificate to a plant nursery

OK, I know, everyone is telling you to avoid gift certificates this year, but although I have never received one, I sure would love to. I mean, what could be more fun than spending a winter night in bed, shopping and dreaming about the summer! Sure one could give cash but there is something more permissive about a certificate one MUST spend. You Must Buy that Vyrea. You Must choose 50 varieties of Camellia. You must. It’s like a shopping spree.

Number 10
The gift of Extinction – The Wollemi Pine

Isn’t it amazing that new or extinct species continue to be discovered in our modern world? Thought to be extinct, a few years ago a small population was discovered In a valley in Australia. Wollemi Pine was discovered a few years ago. Thanks to the National Geographic Society, we all can now add to the population, after all, there are only less than 100 adult trees living on earth. Indoors or out ( in Zone 9), it might be an interesting gift for the caveman in your life.