Garden tours
Admission to a show garden makes a super gift. These
beautifully tended spots provide recreation and inspiration. The spring and
summer months are high season, but don't rule out visits at other times. At the
famed Butchart Gardens in Victoria,(pictured above), there are special
Christmas displays and activities, including ice-skating. This year, from
December 1 to January 6, there will be carolers and other entertainment. The
Butchart is open every day of the year. Admission is $13 to $25, depending on
the season. For more information, visit www.butchartgardens.com.
Another British Columbia attraction is Minter Gardens, a
32-acre destination garden near Chilliwack. Open from May through mid-October,
the site boasts 11 linked gardens, including a rhododendron garden and floral
topiary sculptures. Admission is $13.95.
Brian and Faye Minter also operate an 18-acre garden centre,
Minter Country Garden, which offers a drive-through Christmas light show. Visit
www.mintergardens.com.
The Devonian Garden at the University of Alberta in Edmonton
is open from early July to early December. The most northerly of Canada's
botanic gardens, it specializes in native Alberta species. There are flowers,
alpine plants and herbs on view, as well as a two-acre Native People's Garden,
featuring plants used historically as medicines and for religious purposes.
Admission is $10.50. Details are at www.devonian.ualberta.ca
For information about garden tours in your area, check with
garden clubs and university extension departments.
Word up
Books are wonderful wintertime gifts. Freedom from yard
chores creates time to cosy up indoors and plan next year's garden, or learn
interesting facts about the natural environment.
Jennifer Bennett's Dryland Gardening: Plants That Survive
and Thrive in Tough Conditions (Firefly Books, 2005, $24.95 softcover) is ideal
for gardeners who have limited water supplies. Demands on fresh water supplies are increasing, and weather patterns often deliver dry
spells. The book has numerous colour photographs illustrating water management strategies and
design considerations, and suggestions for drought-tolerant groundcovers,
bulbs, perennials and shrubs.
Hardiness is also the focus of Best Trees and Shrubs for the
Prairies, by Hugh Skinner and Sara Williams (Fifth House, 2005, $22.95
softcover). The book has details about more than 400 species and cultivars that
can survive the prairie climate. The colour photos and recommendations
highlight tried and true varieties plus some new cultivars that are proving
their worth.
A tail-wagging, tongue-lolling dog is a standard feature of
a country estate. Yet the dog's ancestor, the wolf, has remained a source of
fascination or fear. In her comprehensive book, Wolf: Legend, Enemy, Icon,
(Firefly Books, 2005, $34.95 hardcover) Rebecca L. Grambo examines wolves as
creatures of legend and literature, and intelligent yet endangered denizens of
the wild. The superb photographs of wolves in natural habitats are by Daniel J.
Cox.
Lovely gloves
It's grand to stop and smell the roses, but tending them can
be a thorny business. The Bionic Rose Glove protects against prickles. The
product also facilitates such chores as clearing brush or working with barbed
wire.
Our tester, who wore the rose gloves when pruning
raspberries, says, "They're great; very comfy, and I didn't feel clumsy in
them, as I do with most garden gloves."
The gloves, designed by Kentucky hand surgeon and country
dweller Jim Kleinert, are manufactured by the makers of the famed Louisville
Slugger bat. Kleinert wore his gloves when planting shrubs on his new, 109-acre
country place this fall.
Made of machine-washable goatskin, the gloves protect while
permitting dexterity and flexibility. They make it possible for gardeners to
grip tools easily. Padding on the palm area prevents calluses. The rose gloves
have wrist-to-elbow sleeves to protect the forearms. Shorter models are
available.
Price: $44.99 US per pair, plus shipping charges. Four
different sizes for men and women. To order, visit www.bionicgloves.com
Global positioning system
A GPS unit has many applications for rural folks. While
early humans charted their routes by the stars, today's incredibly accurate
locating devices rely on satellite technology. Hand-held devices are useful for
commuters, hikers, or those who want to explore new location-based games such
as geocaching (www.geocaching.com). There are dedicated GPS
receivers, and others are built into cars, phones and watches.
Price: $400 and up at electronics and specialty stores.
Portable hand-held units are less expensive.
Chef's knife
No kitchen is complete without a really good chef's knife
for chopping and dicing. J.A. Henckels knives have been perfected in Germany
over the past 260 years. The ideal combination of weight, balance, handle
design and forged steel blade contributes to knives designed to cut safely and
smoothly for generations. With the "Professional S" model, the blade
extends into the synthetic handle, where it is triple riveted. The divots in
the blade prevent food from sticking. Mincemeat? No problem.
Price: $140 to $150 at department stores and kitchen shops.
Knee pads
Mother Earth seemingly turns to stone when you've been
kneeling for awhile, separating lily beds or deadheading flowers. Pull-on rubberized knee pads will cushion your knees, and protect your clothing, too.
Price: about $10 at garden centres.
Baskets
Have you ever wished you had three hands? Tom Goth did when
he was home with his youngsters, doing mountains of laundry, getting pinched by
cracked plastic baskets and navigating toy-strewn stairwells. He came up with
the Better Basket. "It gives you a bag that can be held with one hand," says
the Scottsdale, Arizona innovator.
A mesh bag with two or three compartments and carrying straps
on all four sides, this product can carry everything from clothes to toys,
books or groceries. It holds whatever you need, going from garden to car to
living room. It's washable, and the soft, collapsible sides ease storage.
Price: $24.95 US plus shipping charges for the
three-compartment basket; $19.95 for the two-compartment model. To order,
contact Goth at (602) 418-3430 or visit www.betterbasket.com.
Pet feeder
When heavy traffic or other factors have you running late,
you might worry about Spot going hungry. With a self-feeder, he can get his own
supper. Look for a sturdy container/dispenser with a door to keep pests out.
Price: about $75 for a container that holds 25 pounds of
food. Available at pet stores.
Trees and shrubs
There's always room for another beautiful tree on a country
estate. Why not purchase a gift certificate from a nursery for a Japanese tree
lilac, an evergreen, or a hardy cherry or plum? This will allow the recipient
to choose an attractive specimen next spring.
Price: $30 to $300 for most trees and shrubs.
Landscape design
A country dweller hoping to transform a pasture into a
paradise of terraced gardens might need guidance. For this, as well as advice
on adding zing to mature yards, hire a professional to create a landscape
design.
A landscape designer has information on the latest trends,
from ponds to outdoor kitchens and living rooms. The finished plan will suggest
placement for benches, pots, walls and other fixtures, and ideas about colour
and texture in plantings. A new set of eyes can help rural dwellers make the
most of their property.
Price: $300 to $600. To find local experts, visit garden
centres, or contact the Canadian Landscape and Nursery Association
(www.canadanursery.com).
Timber!
For big jobs around the yard, specialized tools are a
necessity. A chainsaw is a versatile product that will demonstrate its worth,
whether you're cleaning up a shelterbelt or cutting a Christmas tree.
STIHL has been a leading manufacturer of chainsaws for 75 years.
The STIHL MS 270 Wood Boss is a midsized gas-powered chainsaw designed for firewood cutting. It is widely available and can be serviced in most areas.
Price: $500 and up at hardware centres. For dealer
information, visit www.stihl.ca.
For the birds
Birds don't like their drinks on the rocks. A birdbath
de-icer is a nice addition to the winter landscape. You can find various
de-icers at garden, pet and naturalist shops. We discovered a 200-watt de-icer
with a clamp attachment, safe for metallic and non-metallic containers. It
melts ice in containers holding up to 15 gallons.
Price: about $50.
Out-of-this-world radio
You're enjoying your commute, humming happily along with Tom
Cochrane, when "Life is a Highway" dissolves into static, and you lose the radio
signal. Not so with satellite radio, which bounces signals directly to
subscribers' vehicles. The result is clear, uninterrupted reception no matter
where the highway leads. One could drive from Halifax to Vancouver, listening
to the same channel all the way. You change only when and if you wish. The
advantages include commercial-free music, and dozens of channels to suit every
interest.
Price: $180 installed, plus service charges of about $10 to
$12 per month. Available at electronics and specialty stores.
Pruners
The Felco pruner is a favourite of experienced gardeners.
The Swiss company makes a line of various-sized hand pruners, all with blades
of hardened, top-quality steel, for diverse garden jobs. These pruners are easy
to use, and are available in left-handed models.
Prices: $25.50 to $59 from Lee Valley Tools Ltd. Contact Lee
Valley by phone: 1-800-267-8767, or on-line: www.leevalley.com.
Little light of mine
It's dark, it's cold, and you have to fix a tire/mend a
fence/birth a foal. Shed some light on the situation with a rechargeable AC/DC
spotlight. A 15-million-candlepower spotlight will help with tasks in the car,
boat, workshop, barn or garage.
Price: about $100 at department and hardware stores.
Weed wise
The Weed Bag eases weed picking, and keeps seeds under
wraps. The canvas bag has an adjustable strap that fits around the waist. When
it's full of weeds, unclip the bottom and unload into a wheelbarrow or trash
bin.
LaRae Krebs, the inventor, has a yard maintenance company in
Calgary. "We often have to weed some very wide beds, and I thought there had to
be a better way," she says.
Price: $24.99 plus GST and $12.49 for shipping. The Weed Bag
comes in olive (shown), purple and brown. Order by phone: (403) 830-2340 or on-line: www.theweedbag.com.
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