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Published on 12/01/05

Quirky gifts for gardener on list

By Faith Peppers
University of Georgia

Does your favorite gardener have every tool imaginable, every gadget sold only on TV? Gardening expert and retired University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent Walter Reeves recommends some not-so-common gifts for the gardener:

  • Label printer (available wherever office products are sold). "When you buy metal or plastic plant markers for your garden, you can use this small machine to print out a label and attach it to the marker," Reeves said.

    "It will last two, three or even four years," he said. "You can also print double labels: one for the marker and one for an envelope that will hold the seeds you collect at the end of the season."

  • Tree faces (available from www.alsto.com and other Web sites). These nifty novelties, made from resin or concrete, stick to a tree trunk. "It makes it look like your trees have faces," Reeves said.

  • Heavy-duty gloves (available at any garden center). "Either leather gloves or mesh with rubberized palm and fingers are a favorite choice," he said.

    For bird lovers, Reeves recommends two favorite products:

  • "Eliminator" bird feeder (available from www.wbu.com). "This is the best feeder I've ever had to protect my bird seed," he said. "It's more squirrel-proof than the gate-style ones that smart squirrels can quickly figure out and get around."

  • Bird bath dripper (available at www.duncraft.com). "You attach them to your faucet to drip water all day to attract birds," Reeves said. "They will drink and sit under the dripper because the sound of dripping water is attractive to them."

    Finally, Reeves suggests two gifts to avoid: ultrasonic mosquito repellers and windmills that repel moles. "Neither works," he said.

    • Faith Peppers is the director of public affairs with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

    Experts/Sources:
    Walter F. Reeves
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