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Gardening Gifts and Grifts for the Holidays

  • Writer: Cynthia Brian
    Cynthia Brian
  • 26 minutes ago
  • 3 min read
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“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” Marcus Cicero



Gifts and Grifts in the Garden: A Holiday Guide


As autumn paints our world in fiery hues, it's time to gear up for the holidays! Let's dive into thoughtful gifts for your plant-loving pals and how to spot those pesky garden grifts. This season, let’s make sure our gardens—and wallets—stay safe and sound!

Nature-Connected Gifts: My Top Picks

Over the years, the most memorable gifts I've received have been deeply connected to nature. Whether it was a truckload of boulders for a dry creek bed, bales of hay for the barnyard, or a peace lily from my first-grade teacher, these presents resonated because they fostered growth, learning, and a connection to the earth. Here are some gift ideas that will ignite joy and inspire growth:

Books to Cultivate Beauty

ü Small-Scale Homesteading by Michelle Bruhn and Stephanie Thurow

 

Learn More

 

ü High Yield, Small Space Organic Gardening by Christy Wilhelmi

 

Discover More

 

ü Mythic Plants by Ellen Zachos

 

Explore Myths

ü Weeds of the Pacific Northwest by Mark Turner and Sami Gray

 

Control Weeds

 

ü Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired by Dr. Pam Stephens Lehenbauer

 

Find Inspiration

 

ü Plants are Speaking, Are you Listening? By Linda Langelo

 

Connect with Plants

My Own Garden Tales

ü Growing with the Goddess Gardener by Cynthia Brian

 

Get Your Copy

 

ü Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Cynthia Brian, et al.

 

Find Inspiration

ü My Father is the Gardener by Shelley S. Cramm

 

Discover Wisdom

 

Children’s Picture Books

 

ü Wait like a Seed by Erin Alladin

 

Celebrate Life

ü Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures by Cynthia Brian

Best Garden Tool:

CobraHead Mini Weeder and CobraHead Long Handle

Service:

Honey Homes Handyman Service

The Darker Side: Garden Grifts to Avoid

Before you start browsing, be aware of scammers flooding the marketplace with AI-generated “rare” plants. These fraudsters create polished e-commerce sites, lure you in with spectacular, nonexistent plants, and vanish after extracting your money. Here’s how to spot and avoid these grifts:

Spam Spotting Checklist:


  1. Examine all photos closely: Be wary of perfect, AI-generated photos. Use a reverse image search to check their authenticity.

  2. Scrutinize the description: Real plants have scientific names. Watch out for descriptions of “recently discovered” species without proper names.

  3. Beware of bargain prices: Don’t fall for absurdly low prices. Spammers use this trick to lure you into providing your credit card information.

  4. Don’t be rushed: Scammers love pressure plays. Ignore demands like “Act Now!” and take your time to verify.

Always check the seller’s profile and reviews. Purchase from established businesses with solid reputations or, better yet, from local nurseries. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! For a curated list of trusted producers, visit:

Happy Holidays!

I hope these suggestions help you sidestep the seasonal grifts and fill your holidays with joyful gifting. Thank you for reading! May your holiday be a blissful celebration of gratitude.Happy Gardening! Happy Growing! Happy Thanksgiving!For more tips and inspiration, grab a copy of Growing with the Goddess Gardener at:

Happy Holidays!


Raised in Napa County vineyards, Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach, as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3, named the 2024 Nonprofit of the Year by the Moraga Chamber of Commerce . Learn More Here.

Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at StarStyleRadio.com.

Thanks for reading StarStyle® Empowerment !

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