Garden gift ideas you’ll love

Gardening gifts For bird lovers, garden art collectors and just plain old gardeners

Gardeners ask for little more than sunshine, some warm weather and a little rain a few times a week.

That’s not to say we don’t like to receive gifts every once in a while, especially when they are garden or wildlife related.

Thankfully, there are a host of tools, trinkets and useful items most gardeners would be thrilled to receive.

Ferns & Feathers will strive to bring readers unique gift ideas from both large and small garden supply type outlets as well as home-made items from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and around the world.

I’ll try to update these items on a regular basis, so check back regularly for the latest items.

• Just a few items I’ve come across this month that may be of interest. This combination garden statue and bird bath would be perfect to tuck along a garden pathway or in a Japanese-style garden.

If you are looking for a little more colour in the garden, these stacking glass orbs will do the trick. Both the garden statuary bird bath and stacking orbs are from on-line home and garden retailer Vivaterra. If you have never checked out their on-line site, they offer a beautiful selection of higher-end home and garden items you will not easily find anywhere else.

• Gardening boots and shoes are a must, especially if you are in tick country. Muck Boot Company offers a huge range of gardening boots and shoes that will fit everyone’s needs. The women’s wide calf boot keeps both the dirt and ticks away, while the women’s stylish plaid boots are good for everyday use.

There are boots for kids as well as men in too many styles to mention.

Garret Wade, the fine American garden and woodworking store much like Lee Valley in Canada, offers high-end gardening tools and goodies like Grandpa’s Weeder, The ultimate green weeder that goes a long way in saving your back. It’s even currently on sale.

If you are looking for a real heavy duty bird feeder this giant 6-liter Bird Feeder from Garret Wade might be the perfect gift.

If you are like me, it’s getting harder to keep up with all the up-and-downs of gardening. This Portable Bench and Kneeler from Garret Wade can make a big difference. As described on the site: “Right-side up, it is a comfortable, extra-wide, portable seat. Flip it over, and it becomes a kneeler, particularly useful when you are doing gardening, yard work, or other jobs around the house, like painting baseboards. When used as a kneeler the handles offer support to make easy work of getting up from the ground. You can also take it along and be comfortable when watching fireworks or the kid’s soccer game. Use it as a camp stool or for tailgating.”

Could there be a more perfect gift for the woodland gardener than this Sherwood Fern Fairy Statuary with Bird Feeder. It’s time to Think Spring! at MyEvergreen on-line retailers for $165, regular $275. Evergreen is part of the Rakuten family of retailers. The beautiful bird feeder stands a full 2.5 feet tall and is made of durable, all-weather polystone to help give it a natural, carved wood look.

If you have never checked out the website Wind & Weather you owe it to yourself to wander over and take a look. They say they have a passion for the weather and it shows in many of the high-end weather instruments that are available at the California-based store. They also offer distinctive garden decor and artistic objects for the home. They are proud to say they “shop the globe” to provide customers with unique items.

• Still on the bird theme, another elegant addition to the garden is this polished Copper Hanging Birdbath measuring just over 12 inches in diameter. It can be purchased with a holder and chain that is made of black wrought iron. The whole thing is sure to age nicely in the garden. Although anything copper is obviously an expensive purchase, the inherent beauty of the metal and the fact it ages gracefully with the garden means it’s always a great investment. The wrought iron holder will rust and age the way wrought iron tends to do, so if this is not your style you may want to look at something different. Or, just purchase a copper bowl and use it as an on-ground water resource.

This on-ground bird bath is ideal for not only birds but other backyard critters that can’t jump or climb into a regular bird bath. A couple of these spread throughout the garden will give a hand to many wildlife species from toads, chipmunks, snakes and, of course, birds.

My post, Bringing water into the garden points out how important it is to have an on-ground water source in your garden for small mammals and reptiles as well as birds. This is an opportunity to add an on-ground feature that would make an elegant addition to any garden tucked into a low-growing ground cover, maybe thyme, moss or stone crop. We have our two on-ground water features tucked among the stone crop sedum that has grown around the water features and make them look like they have always been there.

Both bird baths are available through Amazon. A search on the Amazon site shows many hanging bird baths, some brightly coloured and at various price categories. Giving a bird lover or garden enthusiast a bird bath rather than a feeder requires them to do nothing but hang it up and add a little water every day or two.

This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you) I try to only endorse products I have either used, have complete confidence in, or have experience with the manufacturer. Thank you for your support. This blog would not be possible without your continued support.

Review: Click and Grow shines light on native plants

My Click and Grow makes growing from seed simple

If you are like me, gardening doesn’t end with the coming of winter.

In many ways, it’s just the beginning of a new season – the season of anticipation. It’s a long, drawn out time of flipping through gardening books, reading blogs and dreaming of what backyard landscaping ideas are in store for the coming season.

But what do we do in the meantime?

Click and Grow is offering a special “Harvest Season” promotion until October 4 on several of their best Gardens including the Smart Garden 3 and Smart Garden 9. Click on the above link for the special offer.

One solution many of us try is harvesting whatever light we can from windows in our homes and grow what we can. Often we are left with spindly little plants that end up falling over, being ignored and ending up in the composter.

There is a better solution – a simplified grow light system designed especially for people who either don’t have sufficient light to be successful, or have a green thumb that falls off once they move inside. Click and Grow takes all of the guess work out of growing from seed through the use of their innovative system that uses AI to ensure success. What makes Click and Grow perfect for woodland and native plant gardeners is that Click and Grow now provide an easy way to grow native wildflower seeds in their specialized units and pods through their “experimental pods.”

This image shows our Click and Grow with three different plants including a polka dot plant on the left, a black violet, and pink petunia. The violet and petunia are now growing in our window box and the polka dot plant was gifted to my daughter.

In fact, I am currently growing a favourite morning glory in one of our pods.

Introducing Click and Grow – The “smart garden” that turns even the worst winter gardener into a “master” gardener.

I have had a Smart Garden 3 for about two years

I have had one of these for about two years and can report incredible success without much guidance at my end. Click and Grow has become very popular since they introduced their first fully automated indoor gardens that make growing herbs, fruits, vegetables and flowers all year, as simple as adding water a couple times a month and pinching off the growth to keep your new plants from completely taking over your room. They are that good.

This image shows the black viola and pink petunia grown from our Click and Grow and later planted in one of our window boxes.

What makes these grow lights special?

They are very smart looking, clean and sophisticated. Because they look so good, they don’t have to be hidden away in the basement or a spare bedroom and are at home almost anywhere. They grow as your plants grow. Starting off small and compact, additional pieces are added to meet the size of your ever-growing plants.

But most important. They work and they work well. With little to no fuss.

How easy is it?

You order the pods filled with seeds of your choice and drop them into pockets in the main unit. Add water to the recommended depth, plug the unit in and the timer automatically provides the right amount of light to create the perfect growing condition. No need to turn the lights on and off, the unit takes care of that for you.

All that is required is to keep the water at acceptable levels and add small light extensions as your plants grow.

‘Okay that’s great,’ you may say, ‘but what can you grow.’

Growing native wildflowers could not be easier

Polka Dot plant grown from seed in our Click and Grow.

Well, what would you say if I said “native wildflowers and just about anything else you can think of.”

The native wildflowers would be grown in what Click and Grow call their Experimental pod. You supply the seed and they provide everything else. A word of warning, many wildflowers need stratification and/or a series of freeze and thaws before they will germinate. This too, would be your responsibility. A little research on the germination requirements of your favourite wildflowers and you are good to go.

Click and Grow takes the guess work out. If you go to their website, you can order whatever combination of herbs, plants and fruits you desire.

You can also order pods that are just waiting for you to insert the seeds you collected this fall including, of course, native wildflowers. Imagine, having a number of native plants ready to go into the ground at the first signs of spring.

What are you waiting for, you can start your planning now.

Why some plants need cold stratification for spring planting

Many native wildflowers require a cold stratification which protects them from germinating too early in spring or too late in the summer. It’s a natural protection process that keeps them dormant until the proper time for them to start sprouting. Most of the native wildflowers that need stratification are perennials with a hard coating that helps protect the outer shell from breaking and sprouting too early for the plants to survive.

Go to the link at the bottom of this post to learn how to cold stratify your wildflower seeds.

List of seeds requiring stratification

Milkweed

Lupine

Prairie Coneflower

Pincushion Flower

Wild Geranium

Rubeckia

Coneflower

Primrose

Before you start with the stratification and planting you will have to decide just how big a Smart Garden you want to go. There is the Smart Garden 3 (that’s the one I have), Smart Garden 9, and finally the impressive Smart Garden 27 made to grow enough fresh food to feed the entire family.

Some of the popular plant pods include Mini Tomato, Wild Strawberry, Lavender, Rosemary, Peppermint and Cilantro/ Coriander. But there are more. A Fruit and Veggie mix, Italian Herb mix, Calming Tea mix, Black Pansy mix, Blue Petunia, Catnip, Cornflower and Painted Nettle to name just a few.

I could go on and on about the soil in the pods. I could talk about having the perfect pH-level, how the soil was inspired by NASA technology and creates the perfect environment for your plants to thrive. I could say the soil and pod it sits in keeps water distributed so the plant roots have access to it at all times.

I could say the soil is made of natural, renewable materials, and contains no pesticides, fungicides, hormones or other harmful substances.

But all that really matters is that it works. Trust me. Mine will be up and running again very soon. I need more Cardinal flowers in my garden next year.

For more on growing your garden on a budget, go here.

If you are on the lookout for high quality, non-GMO seed for the Pacific North West consider West Coast Seeds. The company, based in Vancouver BC says that “part of our mission to help repair the world, we place a high priority on education and community outreach. Our intent is to encourage sustainable, organic growing practices through knowledge and support. We believe in the principles of eating locally produced food whenever possible, sharing gardening wisdom, and teaching people how to grow from seed.”

Key links for this blog post

This is a link that takes you to a website with an excellent article on how to cold stratify your wildflower seeds. How to Cold stratify your seeds.

The picture below is a link to the Click and Grow website.

Gardening on a budget links

DIY moss garden

Proven Winners Idea Book

Ten money-saving tips for the weekend gardener

Window boxes on a budget

DIY Bark Butter feeder for Woodpeckers

DIY reflection pond for photography

Click & Grow is ideal for Native Plants from seed

Nature’s DIY garden art

DIY solar drip for bird bath

Remove your turf and save money

DIY succulent planter

Hiring students to get your garden in shape

This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you) I only endorse products I have either used, have complete confidence in, or have experience with the manufacturer. Thank you for your support.

Buying solar lights for your garden

Spotlight on solar lights for garden

No electricity? No problem.

Consider going solar and save not only the environment but a plenty of cash over time.

Not long ago solar lights were nothing more than driveway markers – and weak ones at best. Heck, our local fire flies gave off more light than those early inexpensive plastic solar lights.

Those days are gone. Today’s high-quality solar lights are not only aesthetically pleasing, they can rival very expensive low-voltage lighting systems installed in many high-end landscapes at great expense to homeowners.

Hiring lighting experts to bury miles of low-voltage wire throughout your landscape just to get a spotlight on that lovely birch tree in the corner of your yard is a thing of the past. So too is the need to hire an expensive electrician to bring full electrical service to several areas in the yard so you can power your low-voltage system.

The garden is the perfect place to use solar energy whether it’s a couple of spotlights to light up a tree in the back of the garden, or an off-grid installation with solar panels to power appliances, lights, pumps etc.

Why do we even need lighting in the garden?

Every garden, big or small, benefits in some way from garden lighting.

A good, well-thought out lighting plan certainly provides an essential function by illuminating walkways and providing a safe passageway especially for elderly visitors. The real benefit to a lighting system however, is its ability to focus on the key features of the garden and create an enticing atmosphere that might be quite different from the one the garden gives off during the day.

Dinner parties become magical, BBQs on the patio become an experience more in line with a favourite vacation experience, and special events take on a more elegant atmosphere.

Heck, even taking the dog out for its nightly duty is easier and safer. You, at least, have a fighting chance of seeing that skunk before it unleashes on Fido.

Solar light batteries

Most high-quality solar-powered batteries will last between 5-8 hours on a full charge. Be aware, to fully charge the batteries, the solar panel will need at least 4 hours of direct sunlight. This could be a problem for Woodland or shade gardeners where sun is at a premium.

Thankfully, most good solar powered units come with a long wire allowing homeowners to place the solar panel and batteries quite a distance from the actual lights. (For those new to solar lighting, the solar panel charges internal batteries in the unit during the day providing the power needed to operate the lights during the day. Most units automatically turn on at dusk and remain on for a number of hours before automatically turning themselves off.)

All good reasons to invest in a solar lighting system.

Low voltage lights still have their place

Now don’t get me wrong, there is still a place for low-voltage lighting in a landscape. We have our entire front landscape lit by low voltage lights that I installed maybe 15 years ago.

The low-voltage system has performed magnificently during that time. All it has required is the replacement of a handful of bulbs. It throws a beautiful warm light in every season, and because it is low-voltage, the cost of running the system is reasonable. We have a combination of spotlights (focused on two Japanese maples), pathway lights guide visitors to the front door, and a couple of tulip-type lights are used to focus on key plants in the garden.

We love our low-voltage lighting system. But if I had to do it again today, I would likely go solar.

In fact, our entire backyard is lit by solar lighting and we couldn’t be happier.

Three solar-powered spotlights illuminate our birch clumps in the back garden.

Lighting our birch grove with solar

Three solar spotlights by Alpan, putting out 50 lumens of warm white LED light, are used to light up our three multi-stemmed birch trees that form a mini birch grove beside the patio. Another spotlight is focused on our large yellow magnolia that stands over the patio. The lights are bright and throw a clean white light that automatically turn on at dusk and stay on until well past 2 a.m. (5-6 hours) providing a lovely view from both inside and outside the home. In addition, the solar spotlights can be focused from a narrow beam to a wider one depending on your needs.

For more suggestions and some of my favourite garden things, be sure to check out my Favourite Things post.

And once installed, it’s literally free.

I have, however, a confession to make. We have the solar lights in the backyard because I never bothered to run electricity back there. For years we made do without it, now there is literally no need for it. I did bring in an electrician a few years ago to quote me on running electricity outdoors. The quote was enough to convince me solar was the way to go. I would rather spend the money on trees than electricity anyways.

But what are the best solar lights? Well, that depends. (As noted above, the Amazon.ca solar lights featured in this posts were considered best in their class by Renewable Resources Coalition after testing them on a number of criteria.)

Installing a complete off-grid solar system provides gardeners with a host of alternatives from adding garden lights to powering small appliances in a she shed or garden greenhouse.

Consider installing a high-end, off-grid solar power system

If you are like me and don’t have electricity in your garden, or at least don’t have it in the far reaches of the garden, consider installing a complete off-grid solar-powered electrical system like the American-based Shop Solar Kit company.

Maybe you have a pergola in the back of the garden, or even a she-shed that you would like to have full power running a small refrigerator, sound system or full-size lamps and lighting. If you need to run pumps and lighting to a garden pond, you can do it with one of these highly capable systems that, once installed, operate at no cost to you at all.

There are complete DIY kits available for approximately $1,500 and up.

Before buying solar lights ask yourself a number of questions:

1) How big is your garden?

2) How will the lights be used in the garden and how often?

3) What type of garden features will you be highlighting?

Lumens (a measure of brightness) will be important if you are hoping to light up a large yard. There is a big difference between lights that simply create ambience and ones being used for more practical uses. If you have a large garden and need plenty of light look for lights above 15 lumens. Pathway lights that are often grouped together do not need to be this bright.

Some solar powered lights are sold in packs of 2 or more. You may need both lights to illuminate a large tree properly so it’s important to check the pack count when purchasing the lights.

If you are putting lights into trees or highlighting an arbour, string lights and lanterns will go a long way to create the ambience you are hoping to create. In this case, you would not want a bright light. Stick with lights that throw off a warm (yellow) light with low lumens. These expandable solar string lights from Amazon with a contemporary flair provide 100 lumens in 10 lights on an 18 foot nylon-braided chord. They also come packed with a number of additional features.

These solar orbs (Amazon link) are a good example of using lights to create ambience rather than providing a main source of light.

If you are looking for more information on purchasing solar lights, this outsanding guide by Renewable Resources Coalition will provide you with everything you will need, including recommendations on some of the best solar lights for different uses in your garden.

This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you) I try to only endorse products I have either used, have complete confidence in, or have experience with the manufacturer. Thank you for your support. This blog would not be possible without your continued support.