Have you had to park in a space so far away from the store that
there wasn’t even an oil stain on the pavement yet?
Have you had to park in a space so far away from the store that there wasn’t even an oil stain on the pavement yet?

Or how about impolite shoppers, line cutters, unruly kids and more? Yes, whether we like it or not, the holiday season is upon us.

Why not get a welcome respite by buying something for that gardener friend that not only will be appreciated, but is easy to buy?

During my travels to gardening symposiums, I’ve tried several new products that might be just the thing. And thanks to the Internet, you don’t even have to leave home to shop.

The garden gifts I’m going to recommend are the basics, including a hand pruner, water wand and gloves. Any home gardener needs such good products.

Our friends at Fiskars – the orange-handled scissors people – have just the cutting tool for you. Fiskars got their start in 1649 in Fiskars, Finland, but now are headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. Today, they’ve expanded to an entire garden line, including pruners, loppers, shovels, rakes, watering products and garden accessories.

I love my Fiskars PowerGear Bypass hand pruner. The technology gives you 35-percent more cutting power when you need to tackle a particularly thick stem.

The hand pruner retails for $33. The loppers, meanwhile, are great for bigger jobs like pruning trees.

The long handles are more than 31 inches long, and it tackles thick branches. It retails for $60.

You can buy Fiskars garden products at many area garden centers or nurseries. Or you can order on line at: www.fiskars.com.

If Fiskars are the scissors company, then the Dramm Corporation are the water wand people. Dramm has been featuring high quality (lifetime guarantee) hose nozzles since the 1940s.

No gardener should be without a handy water wand. Dramm offers them in various lengths and bright colors, including purple, berry, green, blue and red.

All have lightweight aluminum handles, foam grips and a brass water shut-off valve. All also have the soft-touch water breaker nozzle that delivers a soft flow of water.

Dramm water wands are also available locally, or on-line at: www.dramm.com.

Finally, West County Gardener has garden gloves for every season and task. Their waterproof gloves were voted Best Overall by the Wall Street Journal, and run $30 a pair.

There are four sizes for women and three for men. They also offer landscape gloves and regular work gloves. Again, you can buy from area stores or on-line at: www.westcountygardener.com.

Make your holiday shopping a little easier with one of these garden choices.

Keith Muraoka lives and works in Gilroy. He has written his award-winning column since 1984. E-mail him at [email protected], or write him at P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, CA 95021.

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