Friday, December 04, 2009

Have a gardener on your list? Give them some unexpected gifts.

(This is a cross post to my column published today in Just Out)

I have to admit, writing this gift guide for gardeners is like writing my own wish list. I just need to make sure I cut out this column and give it to my partner with a wink and a smile: “Just in case you need some ideas, honey.”

Have a gardener on your list? Here are some hot leads.

Time-lapse Camera for the Garden
If you’re a fan of the time-lapse flower blooming movies you saw in elementary school science class, this is the gift to get. This little weather-resistant camera by Brinno comes ready to mount in the ground. The high-quality lens captures the scene based on the setting you choose: every minute, 5 minutes, 30 minutes, hour, etc. Photos are stored on a removable USB thumb drive that pops into the computer. Imagine planting this camera alongside your squash next summer and capturing the emergence and growth of the seedling—or finally finding out who’s stealing your favorite flowers. Ah ha! Caught red-handed. ($139.95; available on Amazon)



Wearable Hummingbird Feeder
Do you get giddy when a hummingbird buzzes by? Do you slowly creep up on one to see how close you can get? Creep no more with this wearable hummingbird feeder. Yes, you read that correctly. The feeder is embedded into the facemask, and the bird actually feeds in front of your eyes—right in front. Oh, what I’d give to see that notorious hummingbird tongue. You, too? This is your gift. ($79.95; www.heatstick.com/_eYe2eye.htm)





Obama Head Chia Pet
Cha cha cha chia! Cha cha cha chia! If you haven’t seen the commercial yet, you will soon and I’m sure a million more times this holiday season. The folks at Chiapet have introduced new products including the Presidents Washington, Lincoln and Obama. Also, I can’t forget the Statue of Liberty. There’s something so wrong about growing grass out of the head of our President, but I still want to do it. Cha cha cha chia! ($27, though, no doubt, prices will drop as the holidays near; your local drugstore)

Solar Lights
In the last year some really beautiful and fun solar lighting products have hit the market, thanks to a company called Allsop. Glow string lights are crafted from hand-blown glass and shine magically on summer nights as they hang from tree branches overhead. For a contemporary aesthetic, the Soji Modern lanterns are fabulous and surprisingly weather durable. Solar powered, these lights turn themselves on at dusk. Easy on the environment + easy to use + great design = WIN. (Prices vary; Garden Fever, 3433 NE 24th Ave., 503-287-3200)

Woolly Pocket
Billed as “a modular living wall system,” the Woolly Pocket products help create some really fantastic-looking vertical gardens, both inside and out. A different kind of container, these pockets can be freestanding or hang on a wall. There’s even a living handbag. Yes, please. ($29 and up; www.woollypocket.com)




And then there's always my post from yesterday: a gnome with your face on it. DOH!

3 comments:

Best Wishes, Marie said...

love the time lapse camera, "oh so that is what the dear who ate my flowers looks like."

chook said...

what an interesting selection of gift ideas! several of them i would actually consider giving.

Rozanne said...

This is the most creative and hilarious gift guide ever. I dare you to get the hummingbird feeder face mask. That is 100% nutso.

I'd love to see someone walking around Portland wearing one.