1. Anything green and blooming. Maybe an amaryllis, azalea, Christmas cactus or poinsettia.

2. Bulbs for forcing later on.

3. A good gardening book or two or three. Maybe something by Des Kennedy, who always makes me laugh out loud.

4. A seed starter kit and seeds to keep those hands in the dirt.

5. An exotic orchid that will bloom for months and make you happy just by looking at it.

6. Potted herbs for the windowsill to bring fragrance to the kitchen and flavour to your cooking.

7. Tools of the trade such as good quality garden gloves, pruners or cultivators.

8. A basket filled with homemade preserves, jellies and relishes.

9. A photo album or notebook to record all those great garden moments and bits of wisdom gleaned over the last year.

10. Gifts that keep on giving such as a membership to the Royal Botanical Garden and local horticultural society or a subscription to a g a rd e n i n g magazine.

11. Tickets to an outing at the Niagara Parks greenhouses and butterfly conservatory.

12. A gift certificate for a local garden centre that becomes an excuse for a wonderful outing on some dull, dreary mid-winter day.

Growing Green is prepared by Mount Hamilton Horticultural Society and appears biweekly. This week’s column was written by Helen MacPherson, aone of the society's directors. She also serves as their Outreach Chair.