Simple Garden
Gifts

The crisp fall days are quickly turning to chilly winter mornings and we here at garden-helper are busy preparing for the upcoming holidays. Whether you are a novice gardener or a "Martha Stewart" in-training, our simple homemade gift ideas will warm not only the hearts of your friends and family but their bellies as well.

As our children get older we find ourselves faced with their ever increasing "must have" gifts and the even more increasing price tag. I have found that with some quick thinking and frugal shopping you can make amazing gifts for friends, family and loved ones that show your creative side and make use of the garden harvest you so diligently tended to all season.

The following gift baskets were made by combining recipes from our recipe index, inexpensive baskets found at the local craft store and decorated with scrap pieces of fabric and seasonal dishtowels and oven mitts from discount stores. Enjoy!!

• Sweet Garden Basket -- Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce, Zucchini Bread and Preserves.

• Kitchen Pantry -- Dishtowel, Oven Mitt, Bread and Butter Pickles, Pepper Jelly and Crackers.

• Cookie Jar -- Large Canning jar filled with homemade cookies; made with love from your little ones. Decorate the top with a scrap piece of fabric between the lid and the top. Top it off with a piece of ribbon.

• Canned Goodies -- Homemade Applesauce, Preserves, Pickles, and Pepper Jelly.

• Baked Goodness -- Zucchini Bread, Banana Bread, Maple butter, and jar of homemade mint tea.

We bring you these ideas in the hope of helping you and your family find alternatives to gift giving that bring both your family and the recipients of your gifts closer to the real meaning behind gift giving.

If you have ideas for garden gifts please share them in the gardener forum as we would love to hear how you are turning your garden harvest into gifts.