Christmas is upon us. I have done my usual trawl round the internet, here are a few ideas for presents for the gardener.
Ideas for wildlife friendly presents:

A stylish hanging bird feeder from Suttons:
http://www.suttons.co.uk/Shop/Hanging+Circle+Bird+Feeder+X10156.htm
or a bug box for our little pals to snuggle into during the winter months. They will thank us by emerging in spring and eating all our aphids:
http://www.suttons.co.uk/Shop/Bug+Box+X10152.htm

If you want to make a donation to charity as well, the Marie Curie website has a funky wheelbarrow covered in daffodils for sale:
http://shop.mariecurie.org.uk/garden-wheelbarrow.aspx
Or for just £5, Oxfam will send some fertiliser overseas to help a community grow more vegetables to eat:
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/oxfam-unwrapped-gardeners/OU5023AG
Oxfam also have a second hand store on line (not all gardening stuff) which has some real bargains:
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/second-hand-store

I have found a good online gardening shop with the great name of ‘KissMyGrass’ who provide a wide range of bulbs and plants in decent quantities. They deliver good quality items that are reasonably priced and promptly delivered. www.kissmygrass.co.uk or 01205 280069. They are based in Boston, Lincolnshire.

These are tough times and December and January can be a bit glum in the garden. Those of us who like to get out in the fresh air and get our hands in the soil can get a bit frustrated. Here are a few tips which help to prevent me from developing the winter blues:

Keep feeding the birds. They can be both friend and foe in the garden, I know, but they are lovely and they remind you that there is still life out there. Vary their food for a wider variety of birds and clean out nesting boxes now as they will soon start eyeing up possible new homes to bring up their new families in the Spring.
Look through the seed catalogues; they will remind you that the growing season will soon be here.
Make a plan for a new vegetable or flower bed – even if you don’t end up doing it, the thought will cheer you up.
Plant a winter pot with spring bulbs and bedding plants and put it right by the front door so you see it several times a day. Some tulips and daffodils are scented so look out for those.
Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year; I will be here again next February when the snowdrops, aconites and early daffodils will be out. So keep well and happy until then.