Seed starter gift

[jungseed]

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]

How about more seeds (:

Gift card?

[JulieTA]

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]

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]

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

[jungseed]

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]

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]

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

[JulieTA]

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

[kterlep]

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

[matertoo]

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]

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.