Garden gifts: books and gadgets make life easier

Gardeners are easy to find presents for, but a bit of inside knowledge can lift your choice from ho-hum to ho-ho-ho.

A big pair of loppers makes short work of branches and they can also chop up the old Christmas tree.

Gardeners are fairly easy to find presents for, but a bit of inside knowledge can elevate your choice from ho-hum to ho-ho-ho.

As a hands-on garden professional, home gardener and garden writer, you can imagine I see and try a lot of what goes around. So what are my favourite garden gadgets?

I love a big pair of loppers for making short work of branches that are larger than secateurs can handle. Good brands such as Fiskars, Cyclone and Wolf Garten have ergonomic enhancements to make them more powerful for less effort. People with arthritis or a light build know how important this is.

Even the fittest gardeners will tackle a big pruning job in half the time with a good pair of loppers, and as young helpers may say, “it’s way funner”. Chopping up the old Christmas tree will be an ideal test.

I also wouldn’t be without my cordless hedge trimmer. Concerned at first these might be more toy than tool, I’m definitely a fan of the quality brands.

Garden appliances that run on petrol are noisy, smelly and scary to many of us. And it’s nearly impos­sible to use hedgers with an electric cord without severing, nicking or tangling said cord.

Cordless models have rechargeable, lithium-ion batteries that are powerful and long lasting. Husqvarna’s new range even allows the battery to be swapped between hedge trimmer, brushcutter, chainsaw and blower. Cordless machines are much quieter than petrol, which makes for happier neighbours, too.

For me, it’s the lighter weight of my hedge trimmer that makes all the difference, especially when holding it above shoulder height. I’ll still want to use just-sharpened hedging shears to hand prune my fine-leafed and smaller plants, but a machine is superfast and makes it easier to prune the long, straight lines of hedges.

Essential hand tools include secateurs, trowels and hedging shears. Do spend more to buy the better quality brands, as cheap tools, in any endeavour, are a waste of money.

As with the loppers, the best brands are ergonomically designed and are likely to be lighter, stronger and with a worthwhile warranty.

For beginner gardeners, especially those getting into growing edibles, a good reference book is a boon. I still love The New Organic Gardener by Tim Marshall although it’s not new, and Yates Garden Guide is a great general reference. I’d also recommend a subscription to ABC Organic Gardener magazine. Garden Pests, Diseases & Good Bugs by Denis Crawford is the benchmark, illustrated guide to help sort plant problems and, importantly, to know when not to spray.

A voucher from Florilegium, Australia’s specialist garden book store in Glebe, inner Sydney, and online (florilegium.com.au), enables the recipient to choose his or her own books from nearly 3000 titles, ranging from landscape architecture to urban farming and garden travel. There’s a lolly shop quality about such abundance.

But if your beloved garden lover has more than enough implements and books, consider something a little philanthropic.

Rainforest Rescue buys back land parcels to help protect the Daintree rainforest and native cassowary habitat, and funds reforestation projects. To buy a LivingGift go to rainforestrescue.org.au.

The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney does essential work within its plant pathology unit, leading international research on plant diseases as well as offering a “plant doctor” service for home gardeners.

To help fund the much-needed Plant Pathology Laboratory Project, go to rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/foundationandfriends. Donations are tax deductible.

Finally, if you want to be your own over-the-top Santa and treat yourself to a guided tour of great gardens in Europe, then consider joining me on my garden tour to Croatia, France and Germany next May.

Details at travelrite.com.au.