Plant these gifts beneath your favorite gardeners’ tree

1) Gift certificate to local florist - A Victorian tradition that’s lapsed and should be resurrected is the enjoyment of a bouquet of fresh flowers in the wintertime. It shouldn’t have to be Valentine’s Day or your birthday.

2) Good quality garden gloves - Pick up the kind that have a rubberized palm. They have superior fit, provide better grip on tools and extra protection against thorny branches.

3) One hour professional massage - a gift certificate for one will be so appreciated after the first spring forays into the garden. If you’re feeling especially generous throw in a manicure.

4) Solar-powered lights or fountain - Check out your local hardware store for these items which I predict will soon replace those old fashioned electrical-powered units.

5) Indoor grow lights - they’ll help satisfy that mid-winter itch that many gardeners suffer from. A very useful gift that provides a headstart on the season.

6) A load of compost or bark mulch - contact your local garden center to request the name of a supplier. A truckload can range in the neighbourhood of $100 to $150.

7) Gardenopoly - Halifax Seed sells this board game for $34.99. Players buy garden favorites, collect clay pots and trade them in for greenhouses. Some of the challenges include aphid infestations, water bills, and dandelion outbreaks.

8) A BIG clay pot - Oftentimes these containers are much too expensive for thrifty-minded gardeners to break down and buy, but they’ll sure appreciate one given as a gift and your thoughtfulness will live on for years to come.

9) Brightly coloured, padded hand tools - especially appropriate for older gardeners, these items are easy-to-find when misplaced in the garden plus they minimize hand fatigue and reduce blisters.

10) Garden Gift basket - Exercise your creativity and choose a sturdy woven basket that can be used for a variety of purposes next spring. Fill it with gardening magazines, fertilizer, misting bottle, knee pads, hat, hand lotion, nail brush, fruit, chocolate and even wine.