Seed starter gift

jungseed · February 12, 2010

Need help coming up with a gift for the wonderful person that will be starting my tomato seeds in Canada for me. The problem is it needs to be small enough that I can mail it with the seeds. Last year I sent her a large envelope with 7 of our catalogs along with the seeds and it cost me almost $20.00 in postage. You all know how cheap I am. I almost took some of the catalogs out of the envelope to make it lighter.
I looked at sending her a seed starting kit with the tray and dome cover, but the size is just too big to mail internationally.
What's the small/smallest thing you use all the time or would love to have?

celestina · February 12, 2010

How about more seeds (:

Gift card?

JulieTA · February 12, 2010

A garden journal? I have one that I love, and it's 6x9...not so cumbersome to mail. Or maybe a few permanent markers and plant labels? I always need those...or some cute tomato/herb notecards? I've seen those somewhere...again, small, easy to ship. Or maybe some of your favorite recipes using the "fruits" of her seed-starting labor?!

Whatever you send--what a nice idea. I'm sure your friend will appreciate the thought!

habitat_gardener · February 12, 2010

gloves in sizes to fit, such as the nitrile-covered nylon or cotton ones, or the fancy West County Gardener gloves.

laminated charts of herbs and their uses, or of when to start which seeds for her climate, weed/annual seedling ID, tomato varieties, etc. You can even make the charts yourself, or just put a sheet of paper in a sheet protector if you have those on hand.

sun protection (Sunday Afternoons hat, sungear with SPF values)

knee pads (the simplest ones work well)

small whiteboard and marker for a to-do list for the garden

dvd of Botany of Desire documentary

fleece socks

seed-saving envelopes

bohica · February 12, 2010

1 lb of soluble Kelp, less then $20.00, organic, can be used on the seedlings started.

jungseed · February 12, 2010

WOW, are you guys good!! I've been thinking about this for over a month. Glad I asked the pros, what great ideas. I can make a list and walk next door to the garden center with my various gift cards in hand. I could mail a couple small things and take a couple more small things with me.

Is this a case of can't see the forest? I work in a garden catalog distribution center and we sit next door to one of the garden centers. I couldn't come up with anything.

pete · February 12, 2010

I always enjoy getting a good quality pocket knife. Not sure if that is ok to ship but a nice pocket knife to have on hand is something I like.

Pete

brokenbar · February 12, 2010

I agre with habitat gardener...GLOVES...I never have enough, I always am losing one...I love to get gloves.

JulieTA · February 12, 2010

Ooooh. Gloves. Definitely. My dogs are always stealing one, or I poke a hole in one...I love the nitrile ones! Great idea!

kterlep · February 12, 2010

how about some seeds for something new that she likes, or a gift card for a store, or some nice plant label stakes?

matertoo · February 12, 2010

I agree with pete. A good quality pocketknife is always appreciated by me. Perhaps one of tihe neat multi-tools.

Happy Matering,

Paul

habitat_gardener · February 13, 2010

I like the pocket knife idea, too, as long as it really is small enough to carry around. The one in my pocket is a couple inches long and includes a knife, scissors, file/screwdriver, and tweezers (also had a toothpick, which got lost). I got mine a couple decades ago from Nashbar, a bicycle catalog, and it's been on my keyring ever since. I use the knife and scissors daily. I also have a fancier Swiss Army Knife somewhere that has probably a dozen tools but is heavy and bulky, which I may have used when I first got it as a gift but I don't even know where it is now.

Also on the keyring is a thin flashlight made by Garrity that I got as a gift a couple months ago. It's about 2 in. x 0.75 in. x 0.15 in. with a small, very bright bulb -- just enough to be able to pick up after the dog , or find a tool in the garden, after dark.

These are both about key size: halfway between the size of the house key and the car key.

Hand lotion is good for those of us who start gardening with gloves and end up with dirt under our fingernails. Also a nail brush. For windy areas, lip balm is a good idea.

February 12, 2010	#1
jungseed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pardeeville, WI Posts: 318	Seed starter gift Need help coming up with a gift for the wonderful person that will be starting my tomato seeds in Canada for me. The problem is it needs to be small enough that I can mail it with the seeds. Last year I sent her a large envelope with 7 of our catalogs along with the seeds and it cost me almost $20.00 in postage. You all know how cheap I am. I almost took some of the catalogs out of the envelope to make it lighter. I looked at sending her a seed starting kit with the tray and dome cover, but the size is just too big to mail internationally. What's the small/smallest thing you use all the time or would love to have?

February 12, 2010	#8
brokenbar Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Of The Border Posts: 1,169	I agre with habitat gardener...GLOVES...I never have enough, I always am losing one...I love to get gloves. __________________ "If I'm not getting dirty, I'm not having a good time."

February 12, 2010	#2
celestina Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico Posts: 153	How about more seeds (: Gift card?

February 12, 2010	#3
JulieTA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Moore, South Carolina Posts: 35	A garden journal? I have one that I love, and it's 6x9...not so cumbersome to mail. Or maybe a few permanent markers and plant labels? I always need those...or some cute tomato/herb notecards? I've seen those somewhere...again, small, easy to ship. Or maybe some of your favorite recipes using the "fruits" of her seed-starting labor?! Whatever you send--what a nice idea. I'm sure your friend will appreciate the thought!

February 12, 2010	#4
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	gloves in sizes to fit, such as the nitrile-covered nylon or cotton ones, or the fancy West County Gardener gloves. laminated charts of herbs and their uses, or of when to start which seeds for her climate, weed/annual seedling ID, tomato varieties, etc. You can even make the charts yourself, or just put a sheet of paper in a sheet protector if you have those on hand. sun protection (Sunday Afternoons hat, sungear with SPF values) knee pads (the simplest ones work well) small whiteboard and marker for a to-do list for the garden dvd of Botany of Desire documentary fleece socks seed-saving envelopes

February 12, 2010	#5
bohica Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NY Posts: 113	1 lb of soluble Kelp, less then $20.00, organic, can be used on the seedlings started.

February 12, 2010	#7
pete Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: cincinnati Posts: 202	I always enjoy getting a good quality pocket knife. Not sure if that is ok to ship but a nice pocket knife to have on hand is something I like. Pete

February 12, 2010	#10
kterlep Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: SE Indiana (Near Dayton, OH) Posts: 33	how about some seeds for something new that she likes, or a gift card for a store, or some nice plant label stakes?

February 12, 2010	#11
matertoo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: LA (Lower Alabama) Posts: 354	I agree with pete. A good quality pocketknife is always appreciated by me. Perhaps one of tihe neat multi-tools. Happy Matering, Paul

February 13, 2010	#12
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	I like the pocket knife idea, too, as long as it really is small enough to carry around. The one in my pocket is a couple inches long and includes a knife, scissors, file/screwdriver, and tweezers (also had a toothpick, which got lost). I got mine a couple decades ago from Nashbar, a bicycle catalog, and it's been on my keyring ever since. I use the knife and scissors daily. I also have a fancier Swiss Army Knife somewhere that has probably a dozen tools but is heavy and bulky, which I may have used when I first got it as a gift but I don't even know where it is now. Also on the keyring is a thin flashlight made by Garrity that I got as a gift a couple months ago. It's about 2 in. x 0.75 in. x 0.15 in. with a small, very bright bulb -- just enough to be able to pick up after the dog , or find a tool in the garden, after dark. These are both about key size: halfway between the size of the house key and the car key. Hand lotion is good for those of us who start gardening with gloves and end up with dirt under our fingernails. Also a nail brush. For windy areas, lip balm is a good idea.