These personalized garden tools are available at Etsy.com from rusticcraftdesign.
Winter in Tennessee has arrived, and that sure does limit outdoor gardening. As a tribute to my advanced gardener friends, I will state that that I know people who use cold frames and greenhouses to produce outside all year. As much as I love to garden, though, I like having a few months when I do not guilt myself into using every available moment in my yard and gardens. My kudos to those who grow in cold frames or greenhouses and under lights in that extra bedroom.
I try to avoid the temptation to go into the garden on a warm day during the cold months. There are times I feel like getting dirt under my nails or preparing for the growth season. Instead of working the soil, I get a bale of straw and some leaves with some garbage and work on creating compost. I don’t do much labor, it is nature itself that does the work. I just provide the materials for the magic to happen. That effort will produce tangible, beneficial results.
A reminder to myself and a warning to others:
Pick up a handful of soil and roll it into a ball. If the soil sticks together and will not crumble easily, it is too wet to work.
Failure to remember this guideline will result in clumps of soil that will pass for misshapen clay “objets d’art.” Reconstructing this clay into soil is a seasons-long process. Avoid the temptation, stay out of a wet garden!
So this is the time of the year that my house plants get attention, when I organize tools—filing, cleaning and oiling where needed—and when I research and plan for the spring, which comes early in Tennessee.
Gifts for the Gardener
If you are giving a gift to a gardener friend, I am happy to offer some suggestions: seeds, tools, decorations.
There may still be seed heads on your previous season’s flowers or maybe you deadheaded the seed pods during the season and have already collected the seeds. Either way, the seeds are a nice gift, especially if your gardener friend is not already growing that variety. Decorate an envelope or container and you have a personal gift.
Children and crafters can create signs and stepping stones for a garden.
Scrap wood lends itself quite nicely to garden signs. You may want to make plant identifiers or phrases that bring a smile, or even a sign that identifies whose garden it is.
Garden art, sculpture, bottles, flea-market finds . . . just about any curiosity can enhance a garden.
The following is a great guideline for tools from UT Extension’s David W. Sams, Professor Emeritus, Plant and Soil Science, and Gary Bates, Professor and Extension Coordinator, Plant Sciences:
An efficient garden that’s fun to work in requires the correct tools. It is not necessary to have a lot of tools, but they should be good quality. All gardeners will require the following:
1. A shovel or a spade. Shovels are long-handled and have wide, rounded blades. Spades are shorter and usually have narrow blades. Sharpshooter shovels are spades. Some prefer a long-handled shovel for nearly every gardening task from spading soil to planting and transplanting shrubs. The shorter spade is stronger but harder to use. The spade works well to dig a raised bed or a post hole. It is also a good tool for prying, cutting larger roots and even spading. All gardeners should have one or the other, and both would be a good investment.
2. A hoe. The hoe is a universal gardening tool. There are dozens of kinds, sizes and shapes. The standard square-bladed gooseneck hoe is the one to begin with. It is suitable for removing weeds as well as opening and closing furrows for seeding. Other hoes can be added if and when you need them.
3. A rake. The bow rake is essential for smoothing and leveling seed beds. It may also be used to cover planting furrows, move mulches, clean up debris and kill emerging weeds.
4. A trowel. Buy a good trowel, 3 or 4 inches wide. Use it to transplant small plants, open short rows, dig small holes and even to weed and cultivate around small plants.
5. Small supplies. Use twine and stakes for marking rows, maintaining straight rows and supporting plants. A bucket for carrying fertilizer and water to the garden and vegetables to the house is very helpful. A hose is essential for irrigation. Perhaps the most essential small tool is a good-quality file. Carry it with you when you work in the garden and use it frequently to keep tools sharp.
Store all tools away from sun and rain. Weather will deteriorate and roughen handles, as well as rust metal parts. Rust can be prevented by wiping a light coating of oil on metal after use. Rough handles can be smoothed with sandpaper. Well-cared for tools are easier to use and last much longer.
The effort needed to keep the tools in good repair is a gift. The effort to organize the tool/garden shed or tweaking the lawnmower with a tune-up and blade sharpening are also great gifts. An IOU of an afternoon of planting or weeding is a great gift. Don’t disappoint the receiver and fail to follow through!
Money is not always a necessary component of gift giving. Be creative and have your gift be a thoughtful addition to your gardening friend’s life.
Last-minute announcement: Permaculture Webinar
An interesting webinar is coming up Dec. 9 at 1 p.m. for all you permaculturalists! Permaculture is the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient. The webinar is free and open to the public, and advance registration is required. For more information or to register, visit www.extension.org/pages/71918.
