Commercials stress that spending lots of money is the way to show others you care. But we all really know that's not the case – caring is spending time with others and giving them your support, thinking about and acting on the needs of others, and giving of your creativity and heart, not your cash. Giving gifts you make yourself are a wonderful way to express you care – gifts with the added special touch that only you can give. And these unique gifts will keep on giving throughout the year, reminding the recipient of you each time they see or use your special present. Here are some wonderful ideas for gifts for the container gardeners in your life.

FUN GIFTS
Bagel Seeds: Place a small number of toasted oat O's cereals in a small plastic bag or piece of plastic wrap and tie off with a string. Make a label “BAGEL SEEDS” and add your own planting instructions and whimsical notes about thinning, staking, watering, time to maturity, and harvest. Have fun! Any gardener on your list will enjoy this one.

GARDEN AND HOME DECORATIONS
Garden Flags and Banners: Gather your cast-off clothing and fabric scraps and sew together colorful garden flags and banners. You can make windsocks, too, using a piece of wire hanger as a stiffener for the wind opening. Sketch out a simple design on a piece of paper and lay our your fabrics, then cut, leaving ½ inch for seam allowance. Sew together and bind the edges. Add a tree branch, small bamboo stake or wire hanger if needed at the top for hanging and you have a beautiful and unique gift.

CONTAINERS
Decorative Containers: Gather your old pots and containers, or the pots and containers of your gift recipients, and clean them up, removing accumulated salts and moss. Let them dry thoroughly, then decorate with leftover house paints or glued-on beads. Make designs, paint flowers, or do a wash of color to 'antique' the pot.

Recycle Your Old Pots and Buckets: Cooking pots and buckets make great plant containers. Gather up ones you are no longer using or search for cast-offs from restaurants and construction companies (one and five gallon plastic paint buckets from painting contractors are wonderful for hanging!) Clean them up and cut or drill holes in the bottom for drainage. If you like, decorate with paints or permanent markers.

Wicker Plant Basket: If you have any cast-off wicker baskets you can easily turn them into planters. Line the baskets with plastic bags and hand stitch or glue them in place around the top. Make a few holes for drainage. If you have it, paint the basket with varnish or clear polyurethane first as a preservative.

Wire Baskets and Liners: Wire baskets can be turned into great planters. If you have an old fruit basket, milk bottle basket, or even a wooden fruit crate held together with wire all you need is a liner. You can use any old wool, fleece, heavy denim or canvas coats, clothing, blanket or tarp as a liner. Place the fabric inside your basket and mark where you will cut. Leave a couple inches extra to fold over, so rough edges won't be showing. Remove the fabric and cut straight lines (or gentle curves) along your marks. If you like, fold the cut fabric and sew a hem. Place the fabric back in the basket and it is ready! Note: if your fabric is thin use two or more layers – fabric too thin will not hold water and will wear/rot through before the end of the growing season.

Chipped or cracked pottery from nurseries: Every garden center has chipped or cracked containers which they cannot sell. Many break these up and use the shards for filler. Ask if they will give you any of the cast-offs. You can repair the cracks or plant the pots with missing pieces with succulents or trailing plants, which look especially good in slightly broken pots!

GIFT BOOKS
Gather together catalog and magazine photos of beautiful gardens or containers and put them together in an idea book for your gardener friend.

With all your gifts, remember to add the special touch that only you can give and your gifts will be especially appreciated!