Christmas gift ideas

Thrifty: A propagator will save a whole heap of money by efficiently raising vegetable or annual plants from seed and propagating many plants by cuttings. Heated ones are by far the best, although even an inexpensive unheated one gets reasonable results if used indoors on a warm, well-lit windowsill.

Green:  A wormery enables anyone with even the tiniest garden to transform kitchen waste into superbly rich, nutritious compost. Wormeries are vermin-proof so you can safely compost cooked food too, along with brown cardboard and non-shiny paper. 

Wildlife: Bird feeders make wonderful gifts for all ages from young to very old – it’s fascinating to watch the whirl of activity as different birds come and go through the day, plus the food you provide can be a lifeline for birds in hard winters. The Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) does a wide range of feeders and tables, plus some great gift packs too.

Time saving:  A garden planner or diary makes a lovely gift and really helps make efficient use of time. A great help for looking ahead to what needs doing, enabling you to order seeds, bulbs, plants etc well in advance, and also excellent for checking back on what you did – and didn’t – grow well in your garden.

Sue is a garden designer, advisor and writer based on the Bere Peninsula near Tavistock. Christmas gift vouchers are also available for garden advisory visits: please contact Sue for details. suefishergardens.co.uk