Gifts for Rose Lovers

Enough ideas to fill a vase

 

Oversize ornament looks at home in the garden.

By Carolyn Parker

I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT Christmas ornaments make lovely gifts. Several years ago, I purchased an aqua tinted hand-blown glass ornament for a friend. It was so beautiful; I couldn’t part with it. However, it was a bit too heavy for our Christmas tree, and remained tucked away in a cupboard. I’d take it out and admire it from time to time, and then last holiday season I finally put it on display. Not on the tree, but in the garden.
I hung it in one of the open squares at the top of our lattice gate. It became an ethereal globe catching sunlight throughout the day. When the holidays were over, I left it hanging–it seemed to belong in the garden. As time passed, the beautiful bauble reminded me of bigger, heavy glass ornaments I’d seen for sale from India. It occurred to me how pretty they’d look hanging in strategic spots amongst the roses. Unlike the more stationery gazing balls sold in nurseries, hanging spheres add an intriguing new design element, and they’re less expensive. But to buy more, I had to wait until stores were stocked with ornaments again. In November, I finally was able to search Walnut Creek and Lafayette for possibilities. And there are many.
The silver Indian globe, hanging from our fence in the picture, has a 19–inch circumference and comes from Pottery Barn. Similar ornaments from India are at Cost Plus. At Macy’s, I purchased thin glass globe ornaments, in three sizes, that look exactly like the bubbles children blow through plastic wands. I saw similar ornaments at Orchard Nursery in Lafayette. For the garden, these large, spherical glass ornaments make an unusual and exciting gift, but purchase one for yourself too!
If you want more traditional gift ideas for the rose enthusiast in your life, there are numerous possibilities. How about vases? Rose gardeners need many. They like having interesting choices for displaying their treasured roses. The vase you give might become a treasure as well. The vases I’ve been given remind me of love and friendship.

Rose Vases

Vases can be categorized as small, medium, and large. Small sizes for a single bloom or just a few stems are especially fun and intimate. They come in so many different forms. You might buy one style in multiples. Votive holders, decorative and antique drinking glasses, and demitasse cups make wonderful small vases too. Florali in Walnut Creek, and Tail of the Yak and The Gardener, both in Berkeley, have appealing containers in all sizes. If your rose lover has numerous shrubs, consider buying one of the gorgeous, large clear glass vases that Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, and Cost Plus carry. If you want to give an extra special piece, fine craft galleries and museums carry beautiful ceramics and hand-blown glass.

Rose tools

For working in the garden, it’s always nice to receive a few pairs of fresh, new rubberized cotton gloves. And with pruning season just around the corner, if your rose lover doesn’t have a pair of high quality Felco shears–they make a great gift. Both items are available at local nurseries.

Mini Roses

If you feel adventurous, consider ordering a couple of miniature rosebushes from Ralph Moore. Moore, who approaches his 100 th birthday in January, has hybridized over 500 roses, mostly miniatures. Log on to http://www.sequoianursery.biz/ for a dazzling array of possibilities.
Micro miniatures are particularly good for growing in pots. Sequoia carries three of my favorite pink micro minis.
HI is a single rose about the size of a dime with dense shiny leaves forming a shrub that’s as nice as well-pruned boxwood.
SI, which must have the smallest rose blooms in creation, is completely charming.
STACEY SUE has bigger blooms that are sweet and feminine. All three are fast growing lush shrubs, disease resistant, in constant bloom, and do very well in pots.
The minis I mentioned above are small, but at my house they fill good-sized pots. After growing for only two years, Hi is in a handsome burnished green Chinese pot that’s twelve inches high and 17 inches across. I also like to grow minis by the pair in matching pots, because it’s nice to have flexibility for display. A wonderful source for great pots is AW Pottery in Oakland. They have an enticing inventory of house and garden items and always have great bargain two-for-one sales.
The Bay Area has many fabulous gift sources for all gardeners. I hope the above ideas and sources inspire new discoveries and Happy Holidays.    http://www.rosesfromatoz.com/gift-ideas.html