Our Top 10
Holiday Gift Ideas

We continue one of our holiday traditions at Lavalette Nursery and Garden Center in offering a list of Top Gift Ideas for everyone. As always, we try to find a variety of items for you, with something sure to please those hard-to-buy-for folks who seem to have everything. All of these are appropriate for gardeners, of course, but many would also be welcomed by any of your friends and relatives. Check them out:

1. Discourage deer

If you’re tired of listening to a friend complain that deer ate all her tomatoes or all his flowers last summer, put an all-natural deer repellant under the tree. The Natural Pest Solutions company offers Deer Solution, made with spice, which can be used on all plants -- including fruits and vegetables -- right up till harvest. Its 100 percent natural ingredients are safe around children and pets, and it is rain-resistant and has a pleasant spicy smell. The pump spray bottle has an adjustable brass nozzle that allows the user to select the desired spray pattern. For larger areas, there’s a spray bottle that connects to a garden hose.

2. Bring some warmth

Anyone with a patio or deck dreads cooler weather, which signals the end of enjoying the “outdoor room.” But a warm blaze in a fire pit can make even nippy December outings pleasant. And an original hand-crafted fire pit from Patina Products will be admired for many years. Manufactured with cold-rolled steel for years of durability, it’s guaranteed to never burn or rust through. The natural patina ages beautifully over time. The safety ring surrounding the fire pit also functions as a footrest and handle. This fire pit comes fully assembled and ready for use and includes a poker to adjust the wood and stir coals, a grill to cook on and a spark screen to let the fire die down safely.

3. A timely solution

Everybody is always looking for that perfect garden ornament -- something special to set a yard apart. Look no further: Here’s a beautiful 5-foot-tall outdoor standing clock, which also features athermometer and humidity scale. Made of resin and metal, this clock will look at home in any garden setting. This weatherproof clock is free-standing and runs on batteries.

4. Some ancient wisdom

Good things come in small packages, and one of the best and smallest is the new 2007 edition of the Old Farmer’s Almanac. The publication has been around for more than 200 years, and this edition is completely updated with its unique blend of timely predictions and timeless wit and wisdom. It includes forecasts of changing consumer trends, tasty recipes, essential gardening tips, amusing features, amazing facts, and comprehensive long-range weather forecasts. As a bonus, throw in a copy of the 2007 Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Calendar, which features all sorts of useful information and planting times.

5. Not just for the birds

For a whimsical gift that’s sure to bring a smile, give a pair of pink plastic flamingo lawn ornaments. These tacky but cool birds have become an American icon. They’ll be at home on any grassy strip or flower bed or beside a backyard water element. Buy several pairs and you’ll have a flock.

6. Show your true colors

Marshall-themed items are always in demand, and Lavalette Nursery has a variety of gifts for home and garden. Various sizes of Marshall banners and flags can be hung in windows or from flagpoles. A richly colored Marshall stepping stone -- which is so lightweight it could be used as a wall plaque -- is sure to catch the eyes of visitors. The large Marshall-themed clock or clock/thermometer can be used indoors or out. For an unusual garden element, select a stone featuring a buffalo tastefully cut into the rock. Make a bold statement with a heavy-duty Marshall door mat that features a football field yard-line theme. Accent your wrapped gift by sticking a green-and-white Marshall antenna logo flag through the bow. Click here for an array of more Marshall-related items.

7. Share a shrub

The gift of a growing plant always brightens people’s spirits. Lavalette has a wide selection of evergreens. Choose a slow-growing dwarf Alberta spruce and decorate it like a tiny Christmas tree. After the holidays, it can be planted outside. Or pick a hearty holly or graceful cypress.

8. Let ’em watch it grow

For a gift that will be enjoyed weeks after the holidays are over, let the recipient grow some beautiful flowers. The traditional holiday season is the time for large stunning amaryllis in a variety of reds, pinks or whites, and of those fragrant beautiful paperwhites. Lavalette offers both in colorful boxes containing simple-to-follow growing instructions.

9. It’s tool time

Hand tools are always welcome by folks who like to putter in the garden. Put a selection of trowels, pruners, etc., into a decorative ceramic pot and tie a bow around it. Throw in a few packs of annual flower seeds for good measure.

10. For the perfect fit

And if you still aren't sure what to give that special someone, choose a gift card that can be used at Lavalette for anything in stock. Let the recipient pick out a new tree or shrub, garden bench, trellis or tools. Gift cards come in any amount -- and are available year-round.