Quick & Easy Floral Gifts

Last Friday we went to our first holiday party of the season.

With the exception of my husband and I, almost everyone who attended the party brought the hostess a poinsettia. Honest to goodness, the poor woman could have opened a shop she had so many red poinsettias at the end of the night!

Here's something quite similar to what we brought her. My cute little arrangement had a personal touch, was fun to whip together and wasn't any more expensive than any of those generic red poinsettias.

Cut flowers are nice, but I think you'll agree that no hostess wants to take time away from her guests to hunt for a vase and put cut flowers in water. It's so much better to present her with a finished bouquet.

Unless the vase itself is a key part of the gift, I tend to allocate my money to the flowers rather than the container. That's not to say that the vase can't be attractive. I got this gold mason jar at the Real Canadian Superstore (a grocery chain here in Canada) for just $3.50.

Add in some foraged greenery, a few sprays of red roses ($7.00), a few sprigs of faux berries ($5.00) and a bow (free–ribbon I had on hand) and you have a thoughtful, but inexpensive hostess gift. Total cost is just over $15.00.

While you may not want to spend money on a vase or container, the last thing you want to chose is something so junky it ends up in the landfill. A smarter option is to give an arrangement in something that can have a second life.

This mug, personalized the recipient's initials, can always be put to use when the flowers fade. Mug ($3.44 from the Real Canadian Superstore) plus roses ($7.00), white mums ($3.50), foraged greenery and faux berries ($5.00) comes in at just under $20.

Sometimes you want to spend a bit extra to thank someone special. This little vase was made by a local potter and was still well under $20. Fill it with greenery (free) and some red St. John's Wort ($5.50) and you still have an attractive gift for around $25.

(Note of caution: St John's Wort might look edible to a young child, but it is poisonous. This may not be the best choice of flower for a young family.)

I made this thank you (to go along with a monetary gift) for JoAnne (Because you Love Them Pet Services) who looked after our dogs when I was away in Nova Scotia. It was such a comfort to know the boys were getting a mid-day walk in my absence.

Vase ($3.50 from the Real Canadian Superstore), 4 stems of carnations (approx. $3.00), 3 stems of alstroemeria (approx. $4.50), one stem of St John's Wort ($2.00), foraged greenery, a bow (free–ribbon I had on hand). The total is under $15 and yet I hope the bouquet is pretty enough to say how much her help meant to us.

I used the remainder of the carnations in a small jug for yet another gift. Small white jug ($12.99 at HomeSense) and carnations ($4.00).

Not everything I put together works out. Take this arrangement– it's the floral equivalent to big hair from the 1980s!  For one thing, the mason jar is way too small for the flowers I chose. And for another, the whole bouquet is as round as a bowling ball.

What was I thinking? I had to rip the whole thing apart and start over. It was frustrating, but sometimes you learn from your mistakes.

At the end of the day, it's the thought that counts.

One of the best things about putting these gifts together is that I got to use the leftovers to make an arrangement for my own house. This jug of flowers is sitting right beside me as I type these words.

Best wishes for the holidays and the new year 

from our family here at Three Dogs in a Garden. 

A Wishlist of Garden Books + a Holiday Giveaway

Books get me through the winter, so there is always gardening books on my wishlist for the holidays. I would be thrilled to find any of the following under the tree this year:

Books with Great Visual Appeal

Highgrove: An English Country Garden by H.R.H Prince Charles and Bunny Guinness
Prince Charles is a pioneer in organic garden practices. With lovely photographs and watercolor illustrations by the Prince himself, this book is a gorgeous exploration of the gardens at Highgrove House.  (4.3/5 on Goodreads, 5 stars on Amazon)

Garden Design: A Book of Ideas by Heidi Howcroft and Marianne Majerus
My next suggestion offers a wealth of design ideas all brought home by stunning photographs. The authors lead you through the process of designing a garden in an eloquent and insightful way. (4.1/5 on Goodreads, 5 stars on Amazon)

Gardenlust by Christopher Woods
In Gardenlust, intrepid plant hunter Christopher Woods spotlights 50 modern gardens, both private and public, that he feels push boundaries and define natural beauty in significant ways. Armchair travel at its best! (4.1/5 on Goodreads, 4.5 stars on Amazon)

The Garden in Every Sense and Season by Tovah Martin 
This is a book on my own personal Christmas wishlist. Unlike the vast majority of garden books that focus on the how-to's of gardening (the weeding, planting, pruning, etc.), in this book Tovah Martin reflects on the delights of her own garden and encourages readers to become more attuned to their own gardens. I am a fan of the author's two previous books on houseplants, so I am really looking forward to curling up with this book in the cold days ahead. (4.2/5 on Goodreads, 4.5 stars on Amazon)

A Tapestry Garden by Marietta and Ernie O'Byrne
This is a memoir about creating a garden on one and a half acres in the Pacific Northwest. While the story is very enjoyable, it is the photographs that make this book sing. (4/5 on Goodreads, 4.5 stars on Amazon)

A spread from Garden Style by Selina Lake

Garden Style by Selina Lake

If you like the decorative side of gardening, this book is for you. With lots of terrific visual inspiration, the author shows you how to transform your garden into a stylish space for relaxing and entertaining. (3.56 on Goodreads, 4 stars on Amazon)

Project Books

Projects for Self-Sufficiency by Black and Decker 
My husband picked this one. Step-by-step instructions and photos lead you through 60 projects (Note: some carpentry skills required). Projects include raised planting beds, rain barrels, compost bins, a chicken coop, hoop houses and greenhouses. (4.6/5 on Goodreads, 4.5 stars on Amazon)

Wood Pallet Wonders by Samantha Hartman
Some wood pallet projects can be downright tacky in my humble opinion. This book offers 20 rustic, farmhouse-style projects (many with a possible garden use) that I thought were quite charming and possible to do with basic carpentry skills. (3.33/5 on Goodreads, 5 stars on Amazon)

Hypertufa Containers: Creating and Planting an Alpine Trough Garden by Lori Chips
I have wanted to make hypertufa projects for years, but have never gotten around to it. Recommended by the North American Rockgarden Society as "a complete guide to designing, making and planting hypertufa troughs", this book sounds like inspiration I need to finally get me started. (4.45 on Goodreads and Amazon)

An example of a hypertufa container (though not from the book).

For the Houseplant Lover

At Home with Plants by Ian Drummond &Kara O'Reilly
Houseplants are back in fashion big time! At Home with Plants shows the novice indoor gardener how to transform their home with plants, offering up more than 250 inspirational pictures and ideas for each room in the house. (3.6 on Goodreads and 4 stars on Amazon)

A spread from the Practical Houseplant Book by Fran Bailey & Zia Allaway

Practical Houseplant Book by Fran Bailey & Zia Allaway
This guide offers 175 plant profiles and 12 step-by-step projects to display indoor plants creatively. (4.43 on Goodreads and 5 stars on Amazon)

For the Nature Lover

Shinrin-Yoku: The Japanese Art of Forest Bathing by Yoshifumi Miyazaki 
Shinrin-Yoku: The Japanese Art and Science of Forest Bathing by Qing Li
Have you ever heard of forest bathing? I hadn't until recently and would love to learn more. Forest bathing is connecting with nature to reduce stress and improve your health and happiness. There are a number of books on the subject, but I will suggest two. Shinrin-Yoku: The Japanese Art of Forest Bathing is a bestseller for Timber Press. Shinrin-Yoku: The Japanese Art and Science of Forest Bathing has the best rating of on Goodreads.

Our Native Bees: North America's Endangered Pollinators and the Fight to Save Them by Paige Embry

A lot of what you read these days focuses on honey bees. North American native bees are just as deserving of our attention. Endangered native species of bees are essential to our ecosystems and food supplies. (4.3 on Goodreads and 4.5 stars on Amazon)

For the Vegetable Gardener

No Dig Organic Home & Garden: Grow, Cook, Use & Store Your Harvest by Charles Dowding & Stephanie Hafferty 
Well-known author Charles Dowling has been gardening intensively for over thirty-five years. Co-author Stephanie Hafferty is a kitchen gardener who has created no-dig gardens for restaurants and private estates. Together they explain the benefits of the no dig approach to vegetable gardening with tips on composting, living sustainably, harvesting and preparing food year round.  Also included are recipes for making natural cosmetics, cleaning products and garden preparations. (4.2 on Goodreads and 4.5 stars on Amazon)

The Food Lover's Garden: Growing, Cooking and Eating Well by Jenni Blackmore

This book was recommended to me by Signe Langford who often writes for this blog. This book reads like a casual conversation over the back fence and is a great beginner's guide to growing, cooking and preserving easy-to-grow vegetables. (too early for ratings on Goodreads and Amazon)

A view of Niki's garden in the late summer. Photography by Niki Jabbour

Veggie Garden Remix by Niki Jabbour

In her latest book, best-selling author Niki Jabbour encourages her readers to expand the repertoire of vegetables they grow with over two hundred vegetable alternatives from around the world. To boost your confidence, Niki provides growing information for each plant, along with fun facts and a plant history. As always, Niki's writing is light, informative and entertaining. (4.3 on Goodreads and 5 stars on Amazon)

So that's my list. There are lots of great choices. The hard part is deciding which one! 

It wouldn't be one of my book reviews without a giveaway. Timber Press has very nicely provided me with a copy of Gardenlust: A Botanical Tour of the World's Best New Gardens to give away to one lucky reader. Because this book will go to a winner through the mail, we will have to limit entry to readers in Canada and the USA. 

Please leave a comment below, if you would like to be included in the book draw. The draw will remain open until Thursday, January 3rd. If you are not a blogger, you can enter by leaving a comment on the Three Dogs in a Garden Facebook page (there is an additional link to the Facebook page at the bottom of the blog). You are also welcome to enter by sending me an email (jenc_art@hotmail.com).

Good luck everyone!