LAST--MINUTE GIFT GUIDE (PROCRASTINATOR'S SPECIAL)

I can procrastinate with the best of them, but we are really at the last minute for gift shopping if you plan to order anything. This is where that Amazon Prime membership really comes in handy. If you don't have a Prime membership now is certainly the time to get on that. There's a link at the bottom for a $3 30-day trial and everything I'm linking here is free shipping if you're a Prime member so trust me, the math works out. (And that is the last time I'll ask you to trust me when it comes to math.)

As of this posting, everything in this gift guide is available for free shipping to arrive before Christmas, but don't wait because things sell out and snowstorms screw up shipping! I own almost everything on this gift list and I've only chosen the things that I really love and I know your friends and family will too.

Some affiliate links have been used. Thank you for supporting this blog! 

1. Epicurean cutting board set: If you love wood cutting boards but you want to sanitize your boards in the dishwasher this is the only way to go. These are the only cutting boards I use and I have them in four different sizes. I also love my Epicurean "wood" spoon for the same reason: I'm all about the dishwasher. This set has three boards and two utensils. Every person I've told about Epicurean swears by them now.

2. Dremel tool kit: Every guy and DIYer needs a Dremel tool. I use ours for stuff you can't even imagine. To be honest the thing I use it most for is doing the dog's nails. Nothing does it better. I use a 60-grit sanding cylinder and use light taps rather than a lot of pressure on the nail, in case you were curious. Anyway, this gift has the tool + gadget thing going for it and everyone loves that.

3. Compost thermometer: This really helps with compost. And few moments have matched the excitement I felt when I got my pile up to 140 degrees!

4. Bahco pruners: You know I'm a fan of Bahco pruners. I like the small size and I have two pairs because I'm always misplacing one and they are affordable enough to keep a spare around.

5. Wood puzzle set: Mr. Much More Patient loves puzzles like this and I got him these a few years ago. Even adults like to have something to "play" with on Christmas. We leave these on the coffee table and invariably people pick them up within minutes of spotting them.

6. Copper pepper mill: Everyone needs a really good pepper mill and you'll probably only need one or two in your lifetime so buy a good one. My mother-in-law gave us a brass pepper mill like this (available here) but copper is so of the moment. They develop a lovely patina and more importantly, they grind pepper really well. I love this as a gift idea.

7. Smartwool socks: The only socks I wear in winter are Smartwools. Some of my pairs are several years old and getting a bit thin in the heel but they still work great. I love the phD style. They are expensive for a pair of socks but they really are so much better than any others I've tried.

8. Marble mortar and pestle: I don't have this but I almost bought one just like it for much, much more. I think it's handy and pretty enough to be left on the counter and the price is fantastic.

9. Le Creuset cast iron saute pan: A few years ago, after reading some terrible stories about what Teflon coating can do, I switched to using cast iron pans almost exclusively. I still have a couple of coated pans I use for eggs and things where you really need it, but otherwise I cook in this pan. Another item that will last a lifetime.

10. Buffalo check throw: There is a law in blogland that every gift guide must have one item of buffalo check. So I'm fulfilling my obligation with this beautiful throw. I think throws are the best gifts because everyone can use many of them.

11. Mini greenhouse: Before I got a bigger walk-in temporary greenhouse I used this small one that is perfect for hardening off seedlings and plants in spring. Best of all it takes up hardly any space when stored.

12. Atlas gardening gloves: This is the single best stocking stuffer there is for gardeners. Share the love with all your gardening pals or give the entire six-pack to one lucky gardener. You absolutely cannot go wrong with this one.

13. Insta-pot: The whole world is raving about these pressure cookers. Eric from GardenFork just got one and I'm sure he'll be sharing recipes. 

Here's that $3 30-day Prime deal I mentioned:

Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial

If you're still shopping, check out my other gift guides, many of which contain items you can still pick up in time. Good luck, procrastinators! 

Books for gardeners

Cool vintage gifts

Custom gifts for gardeners

OK, time to fess up: Have you finished your shopping? I have four more white-elephant type gifts to pick up but then I'm finished. 

GIFT GUIDE: BOOKS FOR GARDENERS

Call me a traditionalist, but I love giving and receiving books for Christmas. Especially now, when real live books (the kind with pages) seem to be a novelty with some folks. I enjoy having a library of gardening reference books in my home, and I refer to them often. Here are some picks for books that the gardener in your life (or, um, you) might like to add to their library this year.

A quick note: All of these are affiliate links to Amazon, and if you choose to buy there I certainly appreciate you using my link, but please don't forget about your local book store, should you be fortunate enough to have one. Most book stores can order books for you, mostly likely in time for holiday gift-giving.

Cuttings: A year in the garden with Christopher Lloyd: This book is at the top of my personal list. I enjoy the late Christopher Lloyd's writing so much and love soaking in his knowledge gained in his Great Dixter garden.

Lessons from the Great Gardeners: This is also on my wish list. I love reference books but I also like a book I can cuddle up with and read cover to cover during the long winter days. I also crave information from other gardeners and this certainly sounds like it fits the bill.

Gardenista: The definitive guide to stylish outdoor spaces: I've not seen this book but I think it would be inspirational for creative or renovating new spaces.

Native Plants of the Midwest: Native plants are hot, hot, hot in the world of gardening and this series of regional guides offers information on how to incorporate them in your landscape. Not from the Midwest: Here's the same guide for the Southeast.

Epic Tomatoes: I bought this book last year and I wish I'd had it sooner. Anyone who strives to grow that perfect tomato will want this.

Planting in a Post-Wild World: I'll just say that I don't care for the dystopian sounding title of this book, but the concept is intriguing. According to the description the book is a "practical guide that describes how to incorporate and layer plants into plant communities to create an environment that is reflective of natural systems and thrives within our built world."

The Plant Lover's Guide to Clematis: The Plant Lover's series of books is excellent and I can't recommend it enough. Anyone with an affinity for a particular plant will refer back to these regularly, as I do with this one on Clematis. The Plant Lover's series also has guides to Hardy Geraniums, Primulas, Ferns, Epimediums, Salvias, Dahlias (this one is on my list), Asters, Sedums, Tulips and Snowdrops.

Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs: This isn't a new book but it is a hefty reference volume that any gardener with room to grow trees and and shrubs will enjoy having on his or her shelf. I gave it to my mom a few years ago and frequently swing by to look something up.  

Planting: A new perspective: There is no hotter gardener in the world at the moment than Piet Oudolf, whose prairie-inspired style (such as that found in Chicago's Lurie Garden) is much admired and often copied. Piet and his frequent partner Noel Kingsbury give the information needed to be successful with this style.

Rock Gardening: Reimagining a classic style: Rock gardening seems to be experiencing an resurgence but I feel like it's one those garden styles that can go bad quickly. This book imparts the knowledge of creating this style in an updated manner.

Will you be buying books as gifts this year?


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VINTAGE GIFT GUIDE

Another sign that I'm getting a little older is that I think getting a vintage gift would be lovely. When you're a kid you want shiny and new (ew ... it's used?). But the idea of someone hunting for a perfect, unique gift is a lovely sentiment to me now.

So I bring you my vintage gift guide. Of course, half the fun of buying vintage is the hunt, but here are a few of my favorites. If you are new to shopping on Etsy, until December 12 they are offering a promotion in which you get $10 to spend on another purchase with a $50 initial purchase with this link.

1. Cocktail picks set: I almost didn't add this sweet little set because I absolutely love it and I'll be sad when it's sold. But I don't need it. Probably. Somebody needs it though. $16.30 but it ships from France, so get on it.

2. Tin cup: It's cute, from the 1930s, charmingly dented and could be used for about a billion things. $45.35, but it's another piece from France so shipping will be higher.

3. Rattan mirror: Serena and Lily has a mirror exactly like this that will set you back more than four times as much. Pick up this one for a fraction of the price and you'll have a much better story to go with it. $43.48 and yeah, from France. I think I got stuck in an Etsy French loop or something. 

4. Ironstone tureen: Bestill my heart. This is a beauty and in case you hadn't noticed, ironstone is tres chic these days. $75, and thankfully ships from the U.S.

5. Mini globe: I'm not sure why I like this so much, but I think this tiny (8 inches in diameter) globe is so cute and would look great on a desk or bookshelf. Plus, globes are just cool. $90.

6. French olive basket: This galvanized bucket, which was used to collect olives, has just the right about of age on it. $75, and ships from Oregon (not France).

7. Brass faux bamboo box: There is no such thing as too many boxes. Everyone needs cute things to collect other things and this fits the bill. $28.

8. Lakeshore sign: This looks a little "crunchy" (to borrow a phrase from "American Pickers") but it would be perfect for a cabin, beach house or summer home. Or even just a beachy decorating scheme.  $165.

9. Brass and marble hanging planter: It's brass and marble and you can put just about anything in it. What's not to love? $48.

10. Amazing teak nesting tables: OK, these are expensive. But they are incredible and someone I know needs to own these. So one of you, please buy these, and send me a picture of them looking amazing in your house. (You can see this falls under the "Gifts for yourself" category.) $695.

11. Metal flower frog. I love vintage frogs because they are cute and interesting and useful. This is a little charmer. $12.50. 

12. Spun fiberglass chaise lounge: I have no idea what is going on with this chair but it's the craziest patio furniture I've ever seen. And for that reason alone it's pretty fantastic. Pick your favorite eccentric family member or friend and have this baby delivered straight to their house. $285. 

In case you missed my Custom Gifts for Gardeners gift guide, you can find it here. 

How's your shopping going? I'm pretty much stalled out with lots left to buy.

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GIFT GUIDE: CUSTOM GIFTS FOR GARDENERS

I held off as long as I could on holiday posts but I think it's time to get the show on the road. I'm planning to do a handful of gift guides (I'm sort of obsessed with them) this year and I thought I'd kick it off with one that you really have to get going on soon. Everything featured here is handmade by Etsy artists and they need a little lead time for orders so don't delay. All of these can be customized for a special touch. Don't forget to use Ebates, which gives you cash back on purchases at most stores, including Etsy. If you want to check it out, here's a referral link if you care to use it. 

1. Handpainted sign: I think this little sign is so cute and any gardener with little helpers around would love it. I could even see working for a community garden. The same seller has all kinds of other cute signs as well.

2. Timber bench: Every garden needs a spot to sit but benches with backs can take up more visual space than you may have room for. This mod bench would work just about anywhere in the garden.

3. Bee stepping stone: Any gardener, particularly one with a passion for pollinators would love this beautiful stepping stone (which also comes in a green color). Plus you will win the contest for the heaviest present.

4. Custom garden tool badge: What a great touch for a favorite tool. This would be especially handy for someone who takes their tools to other gardens to work. No one will question whose spade it is.

5. Copper garden markers: These are flashy and beautiful and I can only imagine how gorgeous they would be after they develop a patina. They are custom stamped and come in sets of four so you could pick labels for special plants or perhaps for a container that sits somewhere they could be appreciated every day.

6. Metal chickens sculpture: If your favorite gardener can't have real chickens, maybe this is the next best thing.

7. Copper birdbath fountain: Can't you just imagine a bird enjoying a dip in this beauty? And it should make a lovely trickling sound in the garden. A special gift for a special gardener.

8. Garden belt: If Santa brings me one thing this year, I hope this is it. I love this belt, which also comes in a version with a scissors holder and other specialized tool belts. Maybe this would, once and for all, make me stop losing tools in the garden. I also love the Floral Belt and I think I'm leaning toward that one being a better fit for me (since I'm on the vertically challenged side).

9. Metal garden sign: Everyone loves a personalized gift and a beautiful sign for a person's garden is pretty much a no-brainer.


Anything strike your fancy (for you or for giving)?

A GUIDE TO THE BEST GIFT GUIDES

Today's post was supposed to be a big photo-filled post showing you all my outdoor Christmas decorations. But it's not, mostly because on Sunday the dogs decided to go on an expedition down a bluff by my parents' house. They made it down OK, but the old one got stuck down there and couldn't get back up and the young one did make it back up but through a mud pit filled with burrs. If you have never experienced the hell that is a huge hairy dog covered in what must have been at least 1,000 burrs caked on with mud, you don't really know what a pain in the butt that is. Suffice to say, Sunday ended up being filled with rescuing the stranded dog (Mr. Much More Patient had to rappel down with a rope and walk to town on the beach with her) and then hour upon hour of bathing them and trying to get the burrs out. And nothing happened outside.

That's probably OK though, because I've been meaning to share some gift guides with you. I didn't do my own gift guide this year because they are a ton of work and I have to do one for work so I thought I'd take a year off (or maybe it's two years now) and just share some of the great gift guides that other people have done.

Michael Ruhlman, professional chef and author, offered up two gift guides: One for small items and one for bigger, serious chef kind of stuff. One note on his list: He says he favors Wustoff knives and I used to too, but then I tried the knife recommended by Cook's Illustrated, which has quickly become my favorite. And at less than $30, I can't imagine why you'd look elsewhere. PBS also has a good guide for every kind of cook.

Some gifts for gardeners. My addition to the list: A Sneeboer gardening tool from Garden Tool Co. Few people will treat themselves to these amazing tools (they should, but it's definitely a treat), but I can't think of a better gift for a hands-on gardener.

The New York Times has a gift guide for just about any kind of person on your list. And so does Apartment Therapy. I'm particularly fond of their White Elephant gift guide, but since the kids in our family are now old enough to join in, some of these are not appropriate for the Impatient Gardener family Christmas. Although something tells me my nephew would miss the joke in the "Sponge Worthy" sponge holder.

The Verge has some interesting things on its home essentials gift guide.

I love giving books for Christmas, especially these days when I think people are less likely to buy themselves a nice book. My niece and nephews get books from us every year (whether they like it or not) and I enjoy picking them out more than almost any other present we give. Here's Publisher's Weekly's best books list for 2015, which is always a good place to start.

So, now the big question: How are you doing on your holiday shopping? I'm feeling pretty good about it. Between scaling back a little bit and just having fewer people to shop for these days (which is sad because if we're not buying for them anymore it's because they have passed away), I'm in OK shape. I have one very difficult person on my list who I have no ideas for, but if all else fails, he's getting a Sponge Worthy sponge holder.