Chances are, by the time you read this column, you will be exhausted from cooking and washing dishes and ready to relax with a cup of tea and some gardening catalogs. If you are like me, you haven’t begun your holiday shopping yet, so a quiet break after the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving dinner is a good time to select practical or whimsical gifts for your gardening friends and family members.
Be forewarned, though: Prices are up, and many online companies have a sneaky way of offering a discount, then making up the difference in shipping charges. Shop wisely, and always buy the best quality items you can afford, especially gardening tools, which should last for years with proper cleaning and sharpening.
My top pick for 2025 is a gift I have already given myself, a pair of goatskin pruning gloves that will protect my hands and arms when I am pruning roses and other prickly plants. The incredibly reasonable price for these gloves is less than $25. I saw cotton and imitation leather ...