Lots of gift ideas that gardeners will dig

MOSES LAKE — For a gardener, there’s nothing like a patch of ground and some plant starts, or maybe some seeds. While a garden is hard work, it’s also a space of almost unlimited possibilities.

Gardening is good for the gardener’s family and friends – not just the fruits, vegetables and flowers that can come out of the garden, but also because it provides a lot of ready-made possibilities for gifts. And of course Christmas is coming up fast.

Of course, the whole garden-gift thing is complicated by the fact gardeners already have a lot of tools and gadgets, and many gardeners have preferences for their gardening accoutrements. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to ask for a list of preferred tools. Although – there are lots of options out there, starting at a few bucks and going up from there.

There’s even a garden wardrobe of sorts. Washable shoes are good in a garden, although some gardeners prefer washable boots. Hats are good too, to keep off the sun. There are even hats that help regulate temperature, through water-activated cooling crystals. Gardening gloves are popular – and keep in mind that different kinds of gloves appeal to different kinds of gardeners. Gardeners have their own purpose-built garden tool belts.

There are pads for gardeners to kneel on and seats that make gardening easier for people who have trouble with mobility.

Gardening shears? Why, there are even pairs for left-handed gardeners. Garden scissors? Garden knives? Every garden needs some cutting tools for those pesky leaves and vines that go astray.

Gardens need big tools like rakes – telescoping rakes are available these days – brooms and shovels, and little tools like hand trowels. A gardener who’s really precise might be happy to get one of those trowels with a measuring stick built in.

There’s a whole separate category for gadgets and systems to water the garden. Watering cans range from utilitarian to fancy. There are sprinkler systems for a whole garden, and devices that hold just enough water for one potted plant. There are also self-watering planters for gardeners who just want to go away for a few days without worrying about it.

Come the end of summer the gardener will – hopefully – have something to show for all that labor. (Sometimes they have even more to show for all that labor than they intended, as many people who planted zucchini have learned.) But how to get it all back to the house? Well, gardeners might very well appreciate a bucket, or basket, or two or five of them, from upscale baskets with a fabric lining to a humble plastic trug. (A trug is a container, usually rectangular, that’s used in the garden.)

Of course there are vases and pots to display those flowers, and plant stands for indoor plants. In fact there are indoor mini-gardens for people who don’t have a yard or garden space.

Seeds – there are heirloom seeds out there for traditional and unusual varieties – books, notebooks for record keeping, plant markers, garden signs. Potting benches, special lights for plant starts, bird feeders – wow. And there are still more choices out there.

People who want to buy gifts for gardeners, but don’t want to tip off the recipient, can consult another gardener for guidance.