The holiday season is upon us. Do you struggle to find the right gift for loved ones and friends? Do you wander aimlessly in the mall hoping that something will catch your eye? While we can’t help you with your basement-dwelling, video game obsessed nephew, Dakota Gardener is here to provide a carefully curated collection of gifts for gardeners of all ages and abilities.
Your mother, whom is a little slow to standup from a kneeling position, may appreciate a folding garden kneeler bench. This is a kneeling pad on steroids! The foam padding cushions the knees but the best feature is the side arms that help push you to a standing position. This multifunctional object can then be flipped over to serve as a bench for sitting in the garden. The garden kneeler bench folds for easy storage.
Your brother, Matt, is new to vegetable gardening and is having a hard time keeping up with the weeds in between rows. Give him a stirrup hoe. Built differently than a standard hoe, the steel blade is shaped like a hollow rectangle. The blade oscillates and cuts the weed’s roots just below the soil’s surface. Best of all, the stirrup hoe will cut on both the push and the pull strokes. Admittedly, long-handled tools are hard to wrap but a nice bow may suffice.
Madeleine, your Gen Z niece, is jungle scaping her apartment with tropical houseplants. She struggles with watering and occasionally overwaters a plant. Before she gives up her newfound hobby, give her a plant moisture meter. This is a probe that is inserted directly into the potting soil. Some moisture meters come with a guide that lists houseplants and their preferred moisture level.
Twelve-year-old Zack is really into nature and critters. Encourage his ecological bent by buying him an indoor worm composter. Vermicomposting can be done indoors when your outdoor compost pile is frozen solid. Prepare the worm bedding with a mix of kitchen waste and brown material (dry leaves or paper). Composting worms are ordered separately and can only be shipped when temperatures are above a certain threshold.
Source: ndsu.edu
Photo Credit - pexels-greta-hoffman
Categories: North Dakota, Rural Lifestyle