I tried to generate listener input for this year's GardenLine Gift Guide last weekend, but we ended up getting too deep into Christmas tree stories — new ideas were few and far between. But, since I promised a new GardenLine Gift Guide for the holidays again, here's what we came up with.

THE CURIOUS GARDENER'S ALAMANAC
The one really good suggestion we got from a listener was the book The Curious Gardener's Almanac. I keep this book at my bedside, for when I'm just trying to refresh myself with great stories, histories and uses of plants, herbs and fruits. This book is chock full of great trivia and will be loved by anyone who considers themselves a gardener. I'm sure it's available at a few nurseries and garden centers that sell books, but you can quickly order it online at www.amazon.com.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH MY HERBS?
Speaking of books, here's one I know is available at local gardening shops because it was authored here in Texas. What Can I Do With My Herbs? is subtitled How to Grow, Use and Enjoy These Versatile Plants! It's a convenient, comprehensive and easy-to-read guide to all the herbs you want to grow. And since it was written by Texas Master Gardener Judy Barrett of Taylor, you know it covers those herbs we can use successfully in this area. Get it online also at www.tamupress.com.

HOMEMADE GIFT CERTIFICATES
Obviously, I'm a big fan of giving gift certificates from our favorite garden centers, but we had a caller suggest homemade gift certificates for things like yard service for a year. Her idea was to give her husband time to do more fun gardening, rather than spend hours mowing, edging and blowing every week. So, think outside the box and wrap your mind around some homemade certificates that will give your significant other some time away from mundane yard work and allow them to focus on more productive and/or fun gardening projects.

CASUAL F/X FURNITURE
Finally, I've got a suggestion that, though it might be considered a "big ticket" item, certainly has a huge list of benefits. Casual F/X furniture is by far the coolest and most well-built outdoor furniture to come along in some time. If you haven't seen it at home and garden or boat shows, check it out at www.casualfx.com or visit their new showroom at 3648 Westchase. I can assure you that if someone in your family is proud of their outdoors and loves to spend time relaxing in it, there is no better gift. It's also great for folks with beach houses, lake houses or pools.

And for some ideas from past years, here are two previous GardenLine Gift Guides for the Holidays: 2008 | 2007

Randy Lemmon's GardenLine is heard 6-10 a.m. Saturdays and
7-10 a.m. Sundays, exclusively on NewsRadio 740 KTRH.

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