Another favorite of mine is poinsettias. To me, poinsettias somehow herald the coming of Christmas. Poinsettias are absolutely beautiful flowers that are extensively used as Christmas decorations in homes, offices, churches and even in flower gardens. You can buy them in nurseries, hardware stores, department stores and even small grocery stores. Although the red poinsettia seems to be the most popular one, you can also buy them in pink. (photo courtesy: wikipedia.com)

How about flower bulbs for the gardener in your life? Yes, another idea is to give someone bulbs that they can plant and have flowers in their garden next spring. It is not too late to get bulbs that ship in the fall. My advice here is to make sure you buy bulbs from a reputable company like Breck’s for the best quality. Remember that good quality bulbs will produce beautiful plants and flowers.

Another idea is to give a gardener a soil test meter. This is a great little tool that a gardener can stick in the ground and get a reading of the plant nutrients in the soil. Every gardener should have this tool because healthy plants and beautiful flowers are the result of nutrient rich soil. The price range I’ve seen for this tool is $15 to $20 but like everything else shop around to get the best price.

And most gardeners do like bird feeders. There are lots of very unique designs to choose from and birds need to be fed too. I’ve seen some beautiful bird feeders in stores that will actually add beauty to your garden, patio or backyard. Years ago, most bird feeders had one design but now you can get different ones for just about all bird species. So consider giving a bird feeder as a Christmas gift to someone who loves gardening.

These are just a few ideas about Christmas gifts for the gardener in your life. There are many more available and you can just look around a nursery and find them. Of course, when in doubt, every gardener loves “how to” gardening books. A favorite of mine is The Gardeners Handbook. This is a comprehensive handbook that will give you all the information you need for a beautiful flower garden.

Technorati Tags: bird feeders, Christmas Gifts, gardening books, Narcissus, poinsettias, soil test meters

Christmas is a time for giving and now you can order some bulbs at incredible prices. For example, Breck’s which is a very reputable bulb company is offering 25% discount on selected bulbs for Christmas. They have lots of bulbs to choose from in their Holiday Collection but you have to hurry and order by December 15th to lock in your savings.

These bulbs come from Holland and Breck’s uses the most efficient way to ship them to you via US Parcel Service or United Parcel Service. They guarantee that all of their holiday gift items ordered before December 15th will be delivered by Christmas Eve. So hurry and get your order in for all those special people on your list. Here are a few of the bulbs in their collection.

Twinkle Twinkle Holiday Star Amaryllis
This gorgeous red amaryllis is known as the Star of Holland because of its dramatic white star in the center of each bloom. Amaryllis is truly a traditional symbol of the holiday season and you can expect to get 6-8 flowers that measure 8″ across from 1-bulb planter.

Sleigh Bell Daffodil
Daffodils are an old time favorite of many people and very easy to grow. Sleigh Bell Daffodil produces multiple blooms per stem of beautiful soft yellow flowers that are accented by a darker cup. It has very sturdy stems that grow up to 10″ tall. In this collection, you will get 3 potted bulbs in a 4″ pot that comes wrapped in green foil and produces 18-21 blooms. (photo courtesy: Breck’s)

Christmas Charm Hyacinth
This is another old time favorite and heavenly fragrant. Christmas Charm Hyacinth produces hundreds of tiny florets and one stem is enough to perfume a whole room. It has strong stems and lavender bell flowers with white markings and you can get 3 potted bulbs in a 6″ pot wrapped in green foil. These bulbs are already sprouted so you can have flowers in just a few weeks.

Go ahead and get your order in to arrive just in time for the holidays. You will have peace of mind knowing that you’ve purchased your bulbs from a very reputable company like Breck’s.

Technorati Tags: Amaryllis, Christmas Gifts, Daffodils, gardening with bulbs, Hyacinths