Gift Ideas for Gardeners...... or anyone else....

[Maggi Young]

I'd like to suggest as a starter gift suggestion, this newly published  book:  "The Garden Owner's Survival Guide" which is just out from Forumist, Cartoonist, Author and Galanthophile (not necessarily in that order) Martin Baxendale.

Martin explains to puzzled partners, confused colleagues and restless relatives just how tricky a thing it is to have charge of a garden..... he also gives clear instructions, helpfully illustrated , on various handy machines and technigues that might usefully be employed by the garden owner in his or her pursuit of peace, quiet and a few tasty vegetables.

 All this is done with Martin's expected humour and I can surely recommend it as a gift for garden owners, keepers of a pot of basil or a much loved window box.... any of the aforementioned puzzled partners, confused colleagues and restless relatives ..... or even to cheer yourself up.  After all, the holiday and gift giving season is about to burst upon us with all the subtlety if a gatling gun so why not get ahead of the game....... ISBN 978-0-9562398-1-5

I think you will be able to source the book from all sorts of places....

www.tesco.com

www.wynr.co.uk/details.php?isbn=0956239811

www.whsmith.co.uk

www.amazon.co.uk      .......

[Martin Baxendale]

Thanks for the review, Maggi. I'm hoping it'll be a success - encouraged by the fact that I've already (just today) sold the publishing license rights for Poland, while Germany, Hungary and Czech Republic have also expressed an interest very quickly.

Here are some direct links to the book on various online sellers' websites:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_33?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+garden+owner's+survival+guide&sprefix=the+garden+owner's+survival+guide

http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndSearch/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=9780956239815

http://www.tesco.com/books/search.aspx?Ntt=the+garden+owner's+survival+guide&Ntk=primary&VSI=1&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchall&Nty=1&N=0

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/martin+baxendale/the+garden+owner27s+survival+guide/8010764/

And, as a taster, the introduction page from the book:
(Text and illustration copyright Martin Baxendale)

[Martin Baxendale]

And another snippet of text and illustration from the book (yes, my hatred of things slimy, sluggy and snaily does come out a bit in this book) plus a clickable/expandable scan of the cover illustration so forumists don't strain their eyeballs trying to see the details. (All text and illustrations copyright Martin Baxendale).

[Paul T]

Martin,

You need to do a little work on the snail squisher...... you need to come up with a self cleaning and resetting version, as there are so many of the little blighters out every night..... although that IS a good way to make bulk purchases required for anyone seriously intending to use them to eradicate snails.  

[annew]

On my Christmas request list!

[Paul T]

Anne,

Is that the book, or the snail squisher? 

[annew]

Both!

[fermi de Sousa]

I've ordered mine - now to see if it gets here in time for X'mas!

thanks for the heads up, Maggi!

cheers
fermi

[Graham Catlow]

Perhaps there are some gift ideas here for sempervivum fans.
Might be a little late for Christmas now.

http://www.zazzle.com/mythicalnature/?pg=1#homeProducts

from this web site

http://www.sempsbypost.co.uk/

[TheOnionMan]

Perhaps there are some gift ideas here for sempervivum fans.
Might be a little late for Christmas now.

http://www.zazzle.com/mythicalnature/?pg=1#homeProducts

from this web site

http://www.sempsbypost.co.uk/

Graham, that's AWESOME!!!  I could well imagine myself out and about in the garden while admiring my semps, wearing a flashy sempervivum neck tie and donning Sempervivum 'Sioux' sneakers.  I like how the sneakers are not just some generic semp, it's an image of the actual cultivar S. 'Sioux' (an Ed Skrocki cultivar I think), and it is not just a repeated pattern, but a single semp rosette somehow morphed into a single piece of footware.  Of course, I would be sipping tea with my stylish semp mug!

Graham, you should post this on the Sempervivum thread, or I can if you like.  The sempsbypost site is a great resource too.

[Graham Catlow]

Glad you liked them Mark,
They are now on the Sempervivum thread also.