Attending the Sun City Art and Craft Faire is a highlight for my daughter Mary and I. We each thoroughly enjoy shopping for the upcoming holidays in this relaxing environment. Each of the gifts we purchase are handmade, reasonably priced, and absolutely beautiful. For a few hours, we talk, plan for birthday parties, shop for Christmas, and relish in the excitement of it all. Unlike the mall environment, there is no loud music, bright lights, or sales tax. This year, I made her vow to always come back each year and attend this event with me, no matter where her life leads her.
Shopping for Christmas can be an incredibly stressful undertaking. The pressure to choose the right gift, combined with physically having to drive from store to store, carrying packages to and from the car can add up to a series of unpleasant situations. Here are a few gift ideas. They have been chosen because they are either environmentally friendly or suitable for gardeners.
– Subscription to a gardening magazine
– Have a tree planted in honor of someone through the Arbor Day foundation
– Purchase a membership to the Chicago Botanic Garden
– Purchase the gift of a Water Buffalo from Heifer International in honor of a friend
– A wreath made out of fresh greens
– Air plants, they are fun and easy to grow
– A kit that contains flower bulbs that can be planted indoors
– The book “Month by Month Gardening in Illinois” by James A. Fizzell
– Wildflower Seeds, the gift of hope
– Indoor Herb Gardening Kit
– Nitrile gardening gloves and Hand lotion
– A gift card to The Arboretum Store at the Morton Arboretum
– Hummingbird Feeder
– A homemade gift certificate of your time i.e. help dividing plants, watering when they are on vacation, etc.
– Specialty coffee that is grown through sustainable farming practices
I hope that at least one of these ideas saves you time spent at the mall and affords you more time in the comfort of your own home.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
