GIFTS FOR VEGETABLE GARDENERS
Vegetable gardening is an activity enjoyed by thousands of people around the world. We have grown vegetables since the dawn of agriculture ten thousand years ago. It is no surprise therefore that we have continued to be attracted to the soil. Even in times of fast food and digital technology there is nothing quite like growing your own fresh, organic food.
Although vegetable gardening is looked upon as a quirky hobby there are wider benefits to its practice by the wider population. Modern epidemics in our society such as mental illness, obesity, diabetes, lack of exercise and poor diets contribute to lower life expectancy. When looking at an effective treatment for such problems it has been suggested that no single activity is as effective as vegetable gardening.
Growing vegetables encourages people to get outside and work in natural environments. Physical pursuits in naturalistic settings even small gardens have shown to have a tremendous positive impact on our mental well being.
Gardening gives us the ability to experience nature which can invigorate the spirit. Vegetable gardening excels these positive outcomes tremendously. The process of germinating, planting, nurturing watering and harvesting provides an amazing sense of satisfaction and self worth.
An hour of gardening can burn off a whopping 500 calories an hour meaning only half a day of gardening a day could amount to your how daily need of calories. Overweight people who start to participate in vigorous gardening can expect to lose fat and built new muscle mass.
This means vegetable gardening can make you look and feel much better. It will increase your fitness and provide you with healthy fresh vegetables for you and your family.
Eating a diet full of fresh fruit and vegetables is essential for a long healthy life. The types of fresh vegetables grown in the vegetable garden are the best for your health and taste buds. Home grown vegetables always taste better than shop bought.
This is because supermarkets prioritise shelf life over better tasting varieties which are not bred to sit on shelves for weeks. Vegetable gardening will also encourage you to eat more healthily! Those who grow their own vegetables are likeier to be more advanced cooks and live healthier lifestyles. There is no doubt that vegetable gardening is good for our health. Whether you want to buy that special gardener in your life a great gift or get a younger person started. Cool Garden Gadgets have put together our list of favourite gifts for vegetable gardeners here.
Germination gifts for vegetable gardeners
Germination is a natural process with extreme importance to the vegetable gardener. As a matter of fact germination is the most fundamental skill they can process. To germinate vegetable seeds requires skill with a good knowledge of the seasons.
Some seeds are more difficult than others. Some seeds require periods of cold temperatures and some require soaking over night! Regardless of seed germination needing care and skill it is a compulsory part of vegetable gardening. The vegetable gardener needs every possible tool in their arsenal to make germination a constant success. Seed propagators, heated cold frames and cellular seed trays are some of the great gifts you can give your gardener friend.
Propagation gifts for vegetable gardening
Propagation is an important part of germinating fruit and vegetable seedlings. Fundamentally propagation involves creating a warm, stable environment so young plants can germinate and grow.
Propagating seedlings requires consistent temperature, moisture and lighting. This provides an optimum growing environment. There are various propagation methods you can use but typically they involve cellular trays and transparent plastic propagators. These can utilise sunlight for warmth or be heated electrically. We have put together a good selection of propagation apparatus here which make great gifts for vegetable gardeners.
Greenhouse gifts for vegetable gardening
Greenhouse gardening or growing under cover is a fantastic way for the vegetable gardeners to extend their growing throughout the season. Not only does it allow the gardener to avoid frosts it also provides a sheltered, warm environment for crops to thrive.
Greenhouses allow the suns UV rays in and traps heat energy within the structure. This means vegetable gardeners with greenhouses can grow more exotic plants throughout the summer months. In a temperate climate vegetable gardeners can grow aubergines, cucumbers, chillies, peppers and much more! Not only are greenhouses themselves great gifts there are many accessories and gift ideas under greenhouse gardening. Seed trays, potting benches and shelving are just some of the many gift ideas for the greenhouse gardener. We have put together a selection of these for you below.
Composting gifts for vegetable gardeners
Composting can be a great way to recycle nutrients in a sustainable way. Green material from the garden can be composting including grass clippings, hedge cuttings and dead plants. There are many different ways composting can be done. Some vegetable gardeners simply allow a heap to develop in a hidden corner of the garden.
Other options for composting can be using composters such as plastic tumblers and compost bins. As well as compost bins there are many other products available for vegetable gardeners to take advantage of. We have put together a selection below.
Gifts for Pruning
Sometimes in the fruit and vegetable garden crops can get a little out of control. Pruning is sometimes necessary to keep plants growing the way the gardener wants. A good knowledge of pruning can be essential for the vegetable gardener. Certain fruits like raspberries require specific pruning at different times of the year to ensure a productive fruit crop.
Soft fruit plants like tomatoes and chillies need to be pruned and trained to allow more sunlight to the ripening fruit. Whatever sort of crops the vegetable gardener likes to grow it is highly likely they will need to prune every now and then. Pruning tools can make very good gifts for vegetable gardeners. Check out the selection below.
Slug control
Slugs and snails can be the gardener’s worst nightmare! These small slimy creatures can devour whole plots of vegetables in no time. This can reduce a vegetable gardener’s hard work to ruins in a matter of hours. There are simple steps you can take to deter slug’s snails such as getting rid of nooks and crannies or building raised planters.
The truth is it is nearly impossible to completely eradicate this persistent pest from munching through the vegetable patch. This is why it is best to fight the battle on multiple fronts. There are many different products which can aid in the battle against these slimy critters. Some of these can make useful gifts for vegetable gardeners. We have selected the most popular here.
Pest Control
Slugs and snails are usually the worst culprits when it comes to pests for the vegetable gardener. There are however many other challenging pests the vegetable gardener faces. In more rural gardens foraging mammals such as dear and rabbits can devastate vegetable lots in a matter of hours. Even in more urban gardens birds can pick off emerging shoots and forming fruits.
Traditionally there have been different ways of deterring these pests of the vegetable gardener. Some choose covering their crops with cages and some use scare methods to try to frighten off pests. There are various options when it comes to pest control some of these can make good gifts for vegetable gardeners. We have put together a selection of these here.
Harvesting
Most vegetable gardeners are used to dealing with the unpredictability of outside conditions and persistent pests. Vegetable gardeners are a determined breed! The end result of fresh and tasty produce is always in sight for the vegetable gardener. Harvesting is the most satisfying part of the vegetable growing process.
This is why presents focused around harvesting make very good gifts for vegetable gardeners. Harvesting gifts can cover a large range of options when looking for the perfect gift. Some examples of these include gifts for wine making, pickling, storing and jam making. We have provided some of these here.
Digging tools for vegetable gardening
Digging in some form or another is a fundamental part of being a vegetable gardener. Turning and tilling the foil to a fine, oxygenated, crumbly texture is important to ensure maximum root growth. Digging allows the vegetable gardener to prevent compaction and add extra nutrients.
As well as summer digging vegetable gardeners like to dig the soil over in winter. This allows the frost to break up any soil lumps and clods. Although digging is essential it is not always the vegetable gardener’s favourite job. Digging for long periods can be extremely hard, physical work requiring fitness and perseverance. This is why the vegetable gardener appreciates anything which makes digging easier. This is why digging tools cam make great gifts for gardeners. Why not check out some of the best below!
Funny vegetable gardening gifts
Vegetable growers are usually passionate about life and health living. All the physical exercise outside in the fresh air makes them appreciate a light hearted way of life! Vegetable gardeners like to eat healthy organic vegetables giving them a healthy sparkle and a love of good humour. With their cherry red cheeks and love of life they are always trying to laugh.
This is why it is easy to make laughter a focus when trying to find the perfect gift for them! Funny vegetable gardening gifts can be garden signs, ornaments or rude garden gnomes. We have put together some great examples of these here.
Vegetable growing containers
Vegetable gardening in containers has become a very popular way to grow garden vegetables. Containers allow the gardener to ensure the perfect soil mixtures and soil depth.
This is really important as vegetables are hungry plants which need room and the correct fertility to thrive. One of the most effective examples of this is growing potatoes in large containers. Not only do the potatoes grow well harvesting is extra easy.
Vegetable gardeners who prefer containers can spread their love of growing food away from the vegetable patch. Container growing enthusiasts can grow vegetables this way around the lawn, On the patio and even in the conservatory.
This makes container growing gifts ideal for the vegetable gardener. We have put together some of our most favourite here.
Watering gadgets for vegetable gardeners
Watering and irrigation is vital for successful vegetable growing. Crops will be thirsty for moisture in summer when they are converting the suns energy into food. Watering can be a delicate balance in vegetable gardening. Too much watering can lead to stagnant soil and crops rotting in the ground. Not enough water leads to stunted grow and even death in hot conditions.
Providing enough water for growing vegetables requires experience and knowledge of the vegetable grower. There are some great gadgets however that will help keep their vegetables watered correctly throughout the growing season. From funky watering cans to High-Tec irrigation computers we have selected some of the best below.
Vegetable gardening gifts sets
Although there are countless ideas when planning gifts for vegetable gardeners sometimes all you need is a gift box relevant to their interests.
If they are a vegetable gardener and like spicy food why not buy them a hot chilli selection seed box. Perhaps your vegetable grower friend likes trying challenging and adventurous things to grow. Perhaps in this case you could buy them an oyster mushroom growing kit! If they like weird and wonderful looking vegetable try the funky looking veg growing gift box. There are many gift box sets which can make great gifts for the vegetable gardener. Check out the selection below.
Gifts for the kitchen vegetable gardener
The most exciting time for the vegetable gardener is when they see the fruits of their labour!
Garden plots laden with fresh, organic, ripe vegetables ready to harvest is where the next part of the vegetables gardeners’ party begins. If you have ever tasted how flavourful home grown garden vegetables you will know they far superior to shop bought. Vegetable growers are passionate about bringing the garden into the kitchen. There are hundreds of great gifts for vegetable gardeners which play to this theme. Cooking and recipe books as well as kitchen equipment for the kitchen gardener are just some gift ideas. We have put a selection of these below.
Thank you for reading our article on gifts for vegetable gardeners! We very much hope you enjoyed it and it helped with your search. If it did help you feel free to in it or share it with your friends! This really inspires us to keep writing useful articles in the future.
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1 Comment
6/29/2020 04:10:34 am
Engendering is a significant piece of developing foods grown from the ground seedlings. In a general sense spread includes making a warm, stable condition so youthful plants can develop and develop. Leave a Reply. |
AuthorPaul Nicolaides is a Landscape architect and garden builder with over 30 years experience in designing, building and maintaining gardens. Contemplating just how important garden space is for nature and recreation he created 'Cool Garden Gadgets' to explore the best gadgets for enhancing outside spaces. From outdoor dining ideas to the latest garden technology we break it down for you here. Archives
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