By Kathy Sullivan, Communications Director
This year, why not make gifts from your garden for family, friends, and neighbors? Gifts of this kind are often easy to make, help the planet, and cost a fraction of store-bought items. Below are suggestions for what to give if you are a gardener.
It is always a treat to receive a gift from a gardener. We put a lot of time, effort, and love into our hobby and being the recipient of something made from a gardener is always extra special.
1. Herb infused olive oil or vinegar - cut sprigs of your choice of herbs, wash and dry well, and insert into glass bottles. Top with screw-on lids or corks. Bottles can be purchased at Amazon, and are also often found at dollar stores.
2. Botanical sugar cubes - these little gems are festive in cocktails and lovely in hot tea. Here's a recipe for how-to. Sugar cube molds come in many shapes and sizes can be purchased here.
3. Herb mix for dipping oil - couldn't be easier! Try this recipe here.
4. Butterfly puddler kit - Many species of butterflies congregate on wet sand and mud to partake in 'puddling', or drinking water, and also extracting minerals from damp puddles. Package the sand in a seal-tight bag or container. Find a shallow dish (deep enough to hold the sand and water adequately) - can be a pretty vintage china plate or a plant tray. Provide instructions on a pretty recipe card. Package all together in a gift bag or furoshiki (cloth/fabric) wrap. Instructions:
5. Airplant box - so easy beautiful! Use a box lid or shallow box for your container. Add Spanish moss or a moss mix (can be purchased at a hobby store like Michaels) to the bottom of the lid/box. You can use pine needles or any type of natural medium (grass clippings, dried leaves, bark mulch, pebbles etc.). Place one or more air plants into the natural medium in the lid/box, and provide instruction to mist once a week.
1. Herb infused olive oil or vinegar - cut sprigs of your choice of herbs, wash and dry well, and insert into glass bottles. Top with screw-on lids or corks. Bottles can be purchased at Amazon, and are also often found at dollar stores.
2. Botanical sugar cubes - these little gems are festive in cocktails and lovely in hot tea. Here's a recipe for how-to. Sugar cube molds come in many shapes and sizes can be purchased here.
3. Herb mix for dipping oil - couldn't be easier! Try this recipe here.
4. Butterfly puddler kit - Many species of butterflies congregate on wet sand and mud to partake in 'puddling', or drinking water, and also extracting minerals from damp puddles. Package the sand in a seal-tight bag or container. Find a shallow dish (deep enough to hold the sand and water adequately) - can be a pretty vintage china plate or a plant tray. Provide instructions on a pretty recipe card. Package all together in a gift bag or furoshiki (cloth/fabric) wrap. Instructions:
- Find and fill a shallow dish or container with soil or sand.
- Pour enough water in the container to moisten the soil, and sprinkle some salt on the surface.
- Keep the soil moist during the heat of the day, when butterflies are more likely to visit.
- After you've made a puddling pool, sprinkle salt on it occasionally and add overripe fruit, stale beer, or leaf or manure compost from time to time to provide the salt and nutrients backyard butterflies need. Fruits such as oranges and bananas are great options for butterflies.
5. Airplant box - so easy beautiful! Use a box lid or shallow box for your container. Add Spanish moss or a moss mix (can be purchased at a hobby store like Michaels) to the bottom of the lid/box. You can use pine needles or any type of natural medium (grass clippings, dried leaves, bark mulch, pebbles etc.). Place one or more air plants into the natural medium in the lid/box, and provide instruction to mist once a week.