Holiday gifts for gardeners

Pallina Vegan gloves do away with seams at the fingertips. Photo courtesy The Pallina

Structron tool at Sullivan Hardware and Garden. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp

For the high season of gift giving, here are some suggestions for the gardeners on your list. They may not be glamorous, but Structron brand construction grade shovels, spades and rakes are tough. Structron, owned by Seymour Manufacturing Co. Inc., have a fiberglass core and sleeve, which make them among the toughest available.

I have snapped the wooden handles on many digging tools, usually within a year or two after buying them. My Structron shovel has been in steady use for seven years and is still going strong. The tools retail for $30 to $40 each and are available at several independent garden centers and home improvement stores.

Precipice fountain from Campania International. Photo courtesy Campania

One of the attributes I’d like to add to my landscape is a water feature that’s something beyond the static birdbath. Fountains come in all sizes and shapes, but one that caught my eye first in a catalog and then at Rosie’s Garden, a north side Indianapolis garden center, is Precipice from Campania International. Made in the USA, the cast stone fountain is strikingly contemporary and available in 12 patinas. It is 50 inches long, 15 inches wide and 32 ½ inches tall. Expect to pay about $1,100.

If that’s too rich for your blood, consider Wild Bird Unlimited’s The Water Wiggler. Operated by two Size D batteries, the 5-inch round device looks a bit like a space ship with its long legs, which stand in a birdbath and gently wiggle the water

Water Wiggler from Wild Birds Unlimited.

to attract birds. The movement discourages egg laying by mosquitoes, too. No plumbing or wiring required. Cost: $37.

Gardeners usually can’t have too many pairs of gloves and this year, I’ve been trialing The Pallina’s Vegan Gloves. They are comfortably made with Kevlar, Spandex, Velcro and terry cloth and with a design that does away with annoying fingertip seams. I worked in these gloves several times, including on several Fox 59 Home Work features, such as planting bulbs and fall cleanup. Available in men’s and women’s sizes for $30.

There are many more sustainable holiday gift ideas at Indiana Living Green.