Use the PotMaker from Burpee to make the
gardener on your list a handy selection of
seed pots.

Delight the gardener on your holiday list with a thoughtful gift he or she can use—and that won’t break the bank.

Here are five nifty gift ideas that any gardener can put to work.

Customized Garden Hand Tools – Purchase a selection of inexpensive hand tools with wooden handles, such as a cultivator, weeder, spade, fork and hand shovel. Paint the handles with high gloss paint labeled for outdoor use. Select a bright color, such as red or yellow, to make the tools easy to find if they are dropped in the grass. Package the tools in a sand-filled galvanized bucket, where they can be stored to prevent rust.

Weeds-Be-Gone – Give a single weeding tool with a handmade hang tag entitling the bearer to two (or more) hours of weeding help.

A Year of Gardening Delight – Wrap a current copy of one of the popular gardening magazines along with a note that you’ve purchased a year-long subscription. See the Oklahoma Gardening Examiner’s column for some great magazine ideas.

Seed Starting Pots – Make a package of newspaper seed starting pots using a small hand tool, such as the PotMaker from Burpee, or search online for directions on how to fold pots without a tool. Nest them together and package them in a simple basket with a bag of seed starting mix, available at your local nursery.

Plant Label Kit – Assemble various sizes of popsicle sticks, available from craft supply stores and waterproof markers in various colors. Wrap the popsicle sticks and pens in separate bundles and tie with colorful twine or raffia. Nestle the bundles in a nest of shredded newspaper from a paper shredder or other straw filler inside a terra cotta pot.