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A. There are lots of fun ideas for gardeners, but I like to take a new look at gift-giving with something old: a passalong plant. It’s a wonderful idea to give a living gift that will always connect you and a special friend.

Sentimental passalongs from the garden, especially an heirloom bulb or cutting, are a way to tie together the generations. Or give a fragrant plant that will always be a reminder of your friendship. Texas mountain laurel is a great small shrubby tree with purple fragrant springtime blossoms. Now’s the perfect time to plant a tree or a fragrant old rose. If you give your gift to someone who can’t dig in the garden like they once did, include a coupon saying that you’ll be by to plant it as a gift that will last long past the holiday season.

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Ornamental Kale & Cabbage
Ornamental kale and cabbage are making their way into the mainstream as annual color plants for the cool season. They are very dependable performers, even in bitter cold.

There are few insects that bother these plants in winter making them an easy care choice. In spring, the longer daylengths will cause kale to "bolt", sending up a flower stalk with a spray of yellow flowers, adding a very attractive and unusual twist to the flower bed.

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• Spice up the lettuce bed this year with spicy herbs and greens like arugula, pepper grass, buckhorn plantain, radicchio, corn salad and mizuna mustard.
• Keep leaves raked up but don’t throw them away! They’re a valuable source of nutrients for the garden and lawn.

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