Gifts for Gardeners

The problem of gifting gardeners – both the gifted and the black thumb varieties – remains a seasonal predicament. Herewith then a few ideas that have caught the eye over the past few months . . .

What Popular Science calls a “roll-out garden,” the reusable Urb-Mat is an all-in-one system that helps prevent woes for new gardeners [sic]. According to the magazine, it comes with built in tubing to irrigate the plants directly and significantly reduce water waste. Thick landscape fabric, meanwhile, helps block weeds and keeps plants spaced for optimum growth. Pre-fertilized “seedballs” come in 23 varieties, including carrots, chard, spinach, and herbs. At $55 it might even make a good gift for the neighbour who claims she kills everything. A Brit baker has created a Christmas cake that’s made with Brussels sprouts that also contains parsnips, chestnuts and cranberries. The Christmas Dinner Cake is the latest bizarre creation of cake-making entrepreneur Allison Whitmarsh, of Huddersfield, who has gone from strength to strength after appearing on BBC’s Dragon’s Den programme almost a year ago. It is now available from online supermarket Ocado for £18 although whether importation will be allowed into Canada is unknown.

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No need to worry about which gardener will enjoy this gift. Both Brit men and women of Bedfordshire’s Young Farmers posed for nude photos to raise money for mental health charity Mind. And while the men are seen mostly engaged in traditional agricultural tasks, some of the young women are working in the garden – all, we hasten to add, with strategically placed props. Oh yes, and given Britain’s pluvial climate, they are wearing wellies. When a battery-powered tool runs out of juice, users typically have to wait through the recharge cycle before they can start work again, noted Popular Science magazine. The Ryobi hybrid trimmer can run corded in the meantime, a first for yard tools. Engineers included circuitry for both AC and DC power in the trimmer’s motor. The flexibility also means users can default to corded power or just use the battery when they require a longer reach. Cost: $119 See him beam with delight when he sees yet another idea from Popular Science magazine. The AutoConnect System on John Deere’s X700 series tractors lets drivers ready a mower in less than a minute – without any tools. The operator need only drive over the mower deck to connect the tractor’s accessory driveshaft, attach a brace at the front, and pull a lever to raise it into position. Just US$10,500 but this includes the mowing deck. Acquaintance bemoaning the imminent possibility of being spied upon in the garden by one of the new-fangled drones? Worry no more. Armed with a laser range finder, the Kratos system will fire directed energy weapons at drone sensors to fry their electronics. Unlike ballistics, the weapon strikes nearly instantly, costs less than a dollar per shot, and doesn’t run the risk of stray bullets, exults Popular Science. Oops – so sorry. Seems it will only debut next year with the U.S. Navy, who developed the drone killer. The latest recruit in the robot turf war, the Daily Mail has called it – a new automated mower to make cutting the lawn a snip. The state-of-the-art Indego robotic lawn mower handles the cutting of the grass without human intervention, all for around $2,000. A U.S. company that has developed an “electronic backpack” that fits onto a cockroach allowing its movements to be controlled by a mobile phone app has defended itself against cruelty claims, according to the BBC. The Backyard Brains company says that the device is intended to get children interested in neuroscience. A spokeswoman for the company told the BBC that the device – launched early last month – is not a gimmick. Finally, and hopefully there are a few copies left, Fifty Sheds of Grey, a wonderful tongue-in-cheek satire of Fifty Shades of Grey, has been out-selling the E. L. Jones’ original.