Re: Christmas gifts for the vegetable gardener

**"* T* <m*@hort.net>**

From: Hamptongar@aol.com
Oh you have to love editors.  Have a Monday deadline for a short
newspaper 
supplement on food and cooking that will be distributed between
Thanksgiving and 
Christmas.  They think a short piece on gifts for the vegetable
gardener 
would be nice.  Open and desperate for all ideas.
----------

Well, none of my suggestions are very posh, but when I used to grow
veggies, I would kill for a nice load of horse manure; bagged cow if
the real stuff can't be found or is not practical...or a big bag of
poultry manure.  

Stakes are something that will be needed - any kind.  The rather
heavy-duty green metal ones made to look like bamboo are quite good. 

Garden twine is another item that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and
is really useful.  

As for gloves...I have discovered that Home Despots standard
heavy-duty rubber chemical resistant gloves (about $5US/pair) are the
best for working in damp soil or weeding.  Wells-Lamont pigskin or
goatskin gloves (again, available at Home Despot or Lowes) are very
comfortable and grand tho' they don't last me very long.

A garden apron or tool belt is another useful thing.  

A really high quality, heavy-duty garden fork is, IMO, an absolute
necessity...a good garden rake is another item - I'm talking *good*
quality here....none of your Home Despot stuff.  

A large plastic tub with handles for depositing and hauling off weeds
and debris can be found at many discount stores for about $5US...I
can't live without mine.  It could be filled with assorted other
garden and/or cooking goodies.

A bale of straw (unusual, but useful):-)

Harvesting baskets or trugs are another useful type item.  A roll of
Remay - indispensable in areas with cold weather for extending the
season at each end.  Even better is one of those kits with Remay that
create a tunnel; esp. good for curcubits early on to keep the squash
bugs off them before they start to flower.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
Shadyside Garden Designs
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