Plant lovers are easy to please. We can always use another tool, another flowerpot, design inspiration or more advice for dealing with troublesome pests. Oh, and plants. To a gardener, there is no such thing as too many plants.
Easy-care tillandsias are "it" plants. Spanish moss is an air plant; so are those round, gray-green tufts growing in the Hill Country's live oaks. But choose a more exotic species as a gift; it needs misting about once a week. Arrangement shown, $60 at Cebolla Fine Flowers, 4415 Lovers Lane. 214-369-7673, cebollafineflowers.com
Kim Argubright's garden soap uses citrus oils to remove ground- in dirt, and jojoba, olive and wheat-germ oils to moisturize hardworking hands.
The Lake Highlands stay-at-home mom mixes her herbal- Infused potions and soaps in her kitchen. (Her flea-and-tick spray for dogs, by the way, does double- duty as an all-natural mosquito repellent for humans.) Citrus kitchen and garden soap, $6; 16-oz. bottle spray pest repellent, $12. Order at enchantedfrogsoap.com.
The Garden Lover's Puzzle & Quiz Book by the Puzzle Society is 208 pages of word challenges and logic problems for the botanically versed. Published by Andrews McMeel, the paperback is $9.99 at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.
Non-fruiting Little Ollie dwarf olive is a topiary for the tabletop, indoors or out. The goddess Athena is said to have planted the original olive tree on the rocky hill we call the Acropolis. $39.99 (pot included) at Jackson's Home & Garden, 6950 Lemmon Ave. near University. 214-350-9200.
The Guatemala ponytail palm has tighter curls and a deeper green hue than the common Mexican ponytail. The slow-growing plant prefers to winter indoors in a bright location and needs water only when the soil is thoroughly dry. Plants start at $19.95; the ponytail shown is $69.95, including the ceramic pot. Sunshine Miniature Trees, 7118 Greenville Ave. 214-691-0127.
Dial up edible options for your backyard plot with the Garden Group's vegetable wheel. The weatherproof disc is an instant reference detailing when to plant, amount of sun exposure and how many days to harvest. Other wheels help novices with perennials, annuals, bulbs, shade lovers and more. $7.50 each at North Haven Gardens, 7700 Northaven Road and www.womanswork.com.
Some Europeans long considered starlings and sparrows delicacies. The handmade terra-cotta bird pots, to be mounted under the eaves or on a garden wall, are crafted in Amsterdam according to a 300-year-old design. The seller claims desirable American birds such as wrens and robins may move in, instead. Oval, $24; round, $20. at www.priscillawoolworth.com.
Extraordinary Chickens by Stephen Green-Armytage is the theme of an Abrams wall calendar featuring some of the world's most colorful and exotic breeds. $13.99 at bookstores, Barnesandnoble.com and Amazon.com.
So many garden books, so few shelves. But we'll make room. Choose a title based on the recipient: orchid fanatic (Bloom-Again Orchids by Judy White); perennial pal (The Gossler Guide to the Best Hardy Shrubs by Roger, Eric and Marjory Gossler); madcap (Fearless Color Gardens by Keeyla Meadows); novice (The Perennial Care Manual by Nancy J. Ondra); or mom (Sow and Grow by Tina Davis).
Paperwhite narcissus in a ready-to-go kit includes soil and instructions. The rice-hull packaging is the container and saucer. Add water and sunlight, and the bulbs should produce blooms in about five weeks. Assorted bulb kits $19.99 to $29.99. North Haven Gardens, 7700 Northaven Road. 214-363-5316.
Thick glass birdbaths featuring flowers, hummingbirds or butterflies add a bright spot to a drab winter yard. Bowl with 30-inch iron stand is $69.99 at Wild Birds Unlimited, 6333 E. Mockingbird near Abrams. 214-821-7400.
For the windowsill gardener , Vance Kitira's nifty set includes four herb pots and saucers, bamboo markers, gloves, trowel and flower snips. $36 at Gardens in West Village, 3699 McKinney Ave., 214-528-7770.
Supply four chickens whose eggs will help feed a family in Zambia, as well as provide extra income as the flock grows. $24. Multiple levels of sponsorship pay for farm animals and crop seeds through ChildFund International, founded in 1938. www.childfund.org.
A gardener back East added features to the basic watering can that stores fertilizer and reminds you when it's time for the next feeding. The 2-gallon plastic U Can also has a built-in measuring cup and spoon that won't get misplaced and a spot for attaching gloves. Introduced this summer, the U Can is available for $29.95 at www.theucanbrand.com.
Grinch green adds sass to a holiday tabletop with a sprig of berries ($6 a stem), but it makes a suitable bud vase in any season. $12.50 at Cebolla Fine Flowers, 4415 Lovers Lane. 214-369-7673, cebollafineflowers.com