Christmas List

(Christmas is right around the corner, and I thought I might share my Christmas list to Santa Claus with you…)

Dear Santa,

Wow! Another year has come and gone, again. I imagine you are as busy as ever. I hope you are well. Are your elves getting the reindeer ready for the big night? Please give Donner a special hello to me, as he is a really neat reindeer.

I have tried to be good this year, though, at times, I think I might have been on the naughty list. I hope you can forgive me, I shall try harder next year. I wonder if you could bring me the following items.

I would like a new shovel. Santa, gardeners always need a good shovel, and there are so many different kinds to buy.

The spade shovel features a pointed end, designed to bite into the earth effectively. I can use the spade shovel to dig a hole, work my garden and do other home projects. Gardeners use spade shovels to plant their crops.

A scoop shovel is very useful for moving large quantities of sand, sawdust and other materials, without straining the back. The bottom of the shovel is designed to sit flush against the ground, making it easier to scoop up what I need to move. While round-point shovels, like the spade, are better for cutting through heavy soil, square-point shovels are better for scraping the ground. Square-point shovels are also useful for lifting and finishing border edges around your home and garden.

My old gardening gloves have worn out, it seems. There are many kinds of gloves to choose from. Most people need several pairs of garden gloves because different jobs require gloves with different features.

Fabrics like heavy cotton make great all-purpose gloves for a variety of general garden tasks.

Rubber dots on the fingers and palms help with grip when weeding or using tools.

Cotton gloves with a latex coating over the fingers and palm go a step further and protect against moisture but still allow ventilation.

Leather gloves work best for work that involves sawing or pruning and rubber gloves are great for muddy jobs and pond chores.

Latex gloves are useful for fine detail work and neoprene gloves are a safe choice when working with poisonous plants and chemicals.

My old orange leaf rake is also a bit worn out, and it appears that I need a new one.

There are several kinds of garden rakes, usually specific to the job at hand, such as leaf rakes, which are great for that fall clean-up I love.

Garden rakes with their short stiff steel tines are great for leveling dirt or breaking up dirt clumps and even rubber rakes that are good for raking debris from around delicate plants.

Santa, you know I love birds. One of my bird feeders has been attacked by those pesky squirrels, and they chewed away much of the wood.

There are lots of varieties of bird feeders to choose from. Some hold sunflower seed, some hold thistle seed, and some are designed to hold suet, and even fruit. This year, I would enjoy a squirrel proof one!

Finally, Santa, I would ask that all gardeners find the peace of Jesus Christ on this Christmas day, as we celebrate His birthday. Merry Christmas, Santa Claus!