Just two weeks to go until Christmas Eve. But what to give the gardener in your life? Or more accurately, presenting here a modest list of a few of the garden gifts I’d dare to hope for.
To start, perhaps, I am slightly obsessed by a huge 3kg ball of costly coir garden twine for training sweet peas, climbing beans, building tipis. Perhaps the ultimate garden string. Or so I will tell myself.
I yearn – of course – for smart Japanese secateurs, but I am yet to brave the price point. There are of course many other garden shears and pruning blades I’d want. A classic Felco Model 8 would make me happy.
I could always do with more gardening gloves and I like to imagine I could carry off a posh pair of wellington boots. Over the years I have gathered a well-loved trowel or two. But if I could choose only one hand tool, it would be an Implementations hoe.
Of course, gardening gifts do not have to cost the (well-tilled) earth. Boxes and packets of seed are always welcome in our house. I would (of course) be pleased to give or get a smart heritage sweet pea seed gift box, a Sarah Raven herb and salad seed collection or a Sutton Red Tin of vegetable seeds. I would also be chuffed with a single packet of Higgledy Garden Calendula ‘Indian Prince’ or Ben’s Bee Friendly collected set in my stocking on Christmas morning. Disclaimer: there are of course many other fine seed suppliers that would make me or any grower very happy.
Now perhaps your turn to tell me, what is the garden gift you are most craving for Christmas? Also, a good time to share some of your favourite seed and other suppliers?
Allan Jenkins’s Plot 29 (4th Estate, £9.99) is out now. Order it for £8.49 from guardianbookshop.com
