It’s close to that time of year to start thinking about holiday gifts.

Gardeners are relatively easy to buy for, even the one you think has everything by now.

Books are well received and can help pass the time over winter. I’ve always liked Mark Cullen’s down to earth approach, and his latest book ‘The Canadian Garden Primer – An Organic Approach’, has valuable information that even seasoned gardeners can appreciate.

I am a big fan of Harrowsmith’s Canadian Almanacs and the 2010 edition is out with articles about the weather, birds, whale watching, the history of long johns and much more Canadian content.

Sonia Day’s ‘Middle- Aged Spread: Moving to the Country at 50’ will delight readers with the humour she is so well known for, and it was just released this summer.

The Lee Valley catalogue is a gardener’s dream come true, and I’d like to suggest a couple of different items from it. A sundial can be used in the garden to create a focal point, conversation piece or a treasure to find among the plants. There are several types available that can be set on a pedestal, rock or any other platform available.

Photo by Judith Rogers Marine weather glass. The other idea is a type of barometer called a marine weather glass. The glass is filled with coloured water (you can coordinate this with décor) and when it slowly rises up the spout there is a Marine weather glass. storm 24 hours away. A rapid rise of the water means local storm is approaching, and when it bubbles right over the top, it means the disturbance is just about over.

Tools for digging and pruning can sometimes be a personal choice, but I do like the Fiskars brand of pruners. They have a bypass pruner with lever action that fits a smaller hand for women, and that means it doesn’t open as wide either. One of their new types is a carabineer clip loop handle bypass pruner, which can be attached to a belt.

The nice thing about Fiskars is the orange on all of their tools that stands out when trying to locate something that's been put down.

A hostess gift for a gardener that could be bought now for the holiday season is an amaryllis. Most stores sell the Dutch hybrids, but Gardenimport, the mail order catalogue from Richmond Hill, have African multi-stem bulbs that bloom quickly and are more compact. That means the plants won’t topple over.

‘Cupido’ is pink with a white star in the centre, and

Jade Serpent’ is light green with a deeper green throat. They’re both 25 centimetres tall. A little taller at 30 cm is ‘Rock ‘n Roll’, a deep red. These are just a few they offer, and the shorter height is a desired feature.

Occasionally, amaryllis can be purchased already in soil in a container. If just the bulb is bought, plant it in a tight fitting pot. Leave only 2.5 cm between the bulb and the side of the pot, with the shoulder of the bulb above the soil. Use a rich, well drained potting mix, free of bark and manure, and water only once a week. Until the bud emerges, water sparingly. When it does, give more water, but let the soil dry out slightly between waterings. Use only warm water, fertilize every two weeks with a balanced fertilizer, and enjoy these spectacular indoor bulbs.

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