This column written by Jon Collins, University of Illinois Extension, Coles County Master Gardener

With a week left until Christmas, there is still time to get together some "gardening" gifts - gifts that come directly from your garden or gifts that can be used in the recipient's garden.

Jennifer Fishburn lists several possibilities in an article entitled "Gift Ideas for Gardeners". She reminds us that since gardening is America's number one hobby, it is likely that you have gardeners on your gift list. Also, though many homeowners may not consider themselves gardeners, if they have a lawn and a few shrubs, they are in fact gardeners.

Two possible gifts she suggests for your 'gardener' are a garden knife and hand pruners. These are two of the three articles that I think a gardener should always carry with them whenever working outside. The third is a folding pruning saw. All three can easily be carried - the garden knife in a sheath attached to the belt, the pruners and pruning saw tucked in a back pocket.

What to look for when purchasing one of these items.

Jennifer recommends that you "look for pruners with replaceable parts. The scissor-type pruners (bypass pruners) are recommended over the anvil type. Anvil pruners (those with a blade on one side and a flat surface on the other) tend to crush the stem rather than provide a sharp cut." If you don't like carrying a pruner in your pocket, belt holsters are also available.

When looking for a folding saw, select one with a sturdy plastic handle into which the replaceable pruning blade folds. Some incidental information, pruning saw blades cut when drawn toward you as opposed to a carpenters saw or bow saw that cuts when pushed away.

That leaves the garden knife. First, just what is a garden knife? Jennifer describes it as "a multi-functional tool that can be used for several gardening activities such as digging, weeding, and cutting." Mine looks like a broad knife but the stainless steel blade is actually a narrow trowel that comes with a sharp point and one serrated edge for cutting. The steel blade continues on up through the hilt to insure the blade won't bend even with the most abusive use. A sheath is a necessary accessory with this tool.

To enjoy the garden all winter long, Jennifer suggests a gift of bird feeders and bird seed.

Bird feeders come in all shapes and sizes. "Tray, platform, or hopper feeders make seeds available for all types of birds. However, many of these types of feeders also allow for spillage and can attract squirrels. Many tubular feeders, which have either openings for niger seed or sunflower seeds, attract specific bird species."

"If you're buying a bird feeder as a gift, bird seed makes a good companion gift. Black oil sunflower seeds will attract the largest variety of birds. Other seeds that are favored include striped sunflower, niger seed, suet, and peanuts."

Birds need water in the winter. So Fishburn recommends a bird bath as another gift possibility. It should be less than three inches deep with a gradual slope and, preferably, a non-slip bottom. An additional consideration could be a birdbath heater to keep the water from freezing.

So far these are all purchased items, but there may be possible gift items waiting just outside your door. These gift ideas may be too late to prepare for this Christmas but you may want to consider them as a future gift.

Homemade grapevine wreaths are fitting presents for Christmas. The grapevine was one of the early biblical symbols of peace and plenty. Later it became the earliest symbol of Jesus because of the words he spoke in John 15:5.

To make a wreath, collect long vines anytime the plant is dormant. Remove side branches and old leaf stalks, leaving as many of the curling tendrils as possible. Fashion your garland as soon as possible after the vines are gathered before they dry out and become hard to work. If this is not possible, soak dry, brittle canes in water for a few hours to restore flexibility.

To start the wreath, hold the thicker end in one hand and loop the rest of the vine around in a circle as if you were winding up a garden hose. Make this first ring about the size you wish the finished product to be. After you have established your circle start bringing the vine through the center and back over the outside. Continue this spiraling process around the wreath until you reach the desired thickness. As you come to the end of one vine, tuck it into the wreath body. To continue with another vine, again tuck the thicker end into the body near the last end and continue coiling in the same candy-cane style as before. This same process can be used to make wreaths of bittersweet, wisteria, and honeysuckle vines.

The finished wreath can be left as is or embellished with appropriate decorations to give it a seasonal flair. I just freshened up the grapevine wreath that hangs under our front door porch light. After removing some old rose hips and grass seed heads, I decked it out with bittersweet freshly collected alongside the bike trail and with the spent blossoms of Annabelle hydrangea just cut from the backyard.

For another present from the garden, consider a gift of herbs. Basil, coriander, and dill can be grown from seed planted in pots in October; rosemary and sage can be propagated from cuttings taken from the garden in the fall; and thyme can be grown from cuttings or by pulling apart a mat of plants in the garden and planting some of the rooted strands.

The Coles County Extension office also has possible resource gifts for area gardeners. My Garden Journey is a yearly calendar of dates for garden and landscape activities. This would make an excellent stocking stuffer and would be timely as the new gardening year starts in January. U of I Extension also has a Pocket Guide to Good Gardening, a CD of a Beginner's Guide to Vegetable Gardening, and identification cards for Turf and Weedy Grasses and Good and Ugly Insects. Stop by the local office at the Northwest Business Center in Charleston before the holidays to check out these possibilities.

Finally, this from an anonymous writer. Today is a gift; that's why they call it "the present".

So give the gift of today. Time joyfully spent with others may be the most precious gift you can ever give.

If you have any horticulture questions, call the local U of I Extension office Monday through Friday at 345-7034. Volunteer Master Gardeners are not in the office this time of year–they will return your call.

This column is based on information and materials available at the University of Illinois Extension office, located at 707 Windsor Road, Suite A., Charleston, 61920; phone 345-7034; or web site: http://coles.extension.uiuc.edu/.