In many areas of the country, deer are a serious problem for home landscapes. Previously my garden was deer-free, but that began to change about five years ago. That was when I decided to grow plants they don´t like.

For many people on your shopping list, the perfect gift may be a book on their favorite subject. When choosing a book, it is easy enough to find that special title of interest. And matching the book's price to your budjet isn't really a problem.

For many people, shopping for holiday gifts is a real chore. Luckily gardeners are very easy to please. There are many handmade and other items they would love to receive.

Here are some gift ideas that would appeal to gardeners.

There is any number of ways to decorate for the holidays using greenery and other plant material from the garden.

The benefits of landscaping are many, and this extends to the use of indoor plants for health purposes.

Nothing says Christmas like the pungent smell of pine resin. But quite a few flowering plants are also associated with the holidays. Depending on the species, these can be used indoors or outdoors for seasonal interest.

Spruce up the landscape for fall. A great place to start is with those container plantings.

In some colder areas of the country, the nighttime temperatures have already dipped into the mid-30´s. Gardeners in those regions will soon be putting their gardens to bed. On the other hand, those in warmer areas can look forward to an extended fall season before old man winter arrives.

Whatever you choose to call this holiday, it´s become a fun-filled time. A recent survey found that over 60% of people plan to celebrate. On the average, each consumer is expected to spend around $45.