HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
I'm feeling like Santa himself with all the holiday magic filling our nursery boutique at Menagerie Farm! The holiday wreaths are hanging gloriously from the rafters, and our team of busy little elves is working hard, shipping fresh wreaths across the country. This week, we're continuing our Holiday Prep series, where I'll share my favorite gift finds for garden and home that I've curated over the years for the Menagerie Shop.
Gifting is hands down one of my favorite parts of the season, and I love browsing through gift guides from talented makers and creators to find the perfect treasures for those I cherish. I keep all of my gift giving ideas and lists in a handy Notion page for easy organization and tracking. If you LOVE Notion as much as I do you can grab my free Gift Giving Planner Template.
This year, inspired by the influencers and curators out there, I've put together my very own gift guide, filled with top picks from the Menagerie shop. Each item is handpicked by me to bring joy to gardeners, flower lovers, and anyone who'd love a touch of farm beauty in their home. I've spent years testing it all—from pruners to organic fertilizers—so you can trust that these gifts are the best of the best. I hope you'll have fun finding a little something special for your loved ones—or even treat yourself to a holiday gift from the farm!
Here's a look at a few categories from our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide:
For Cutting Gardens: Inspire future flower fields! Our cutting garden collection includes everything you need to care for a home flower patch, from my go-to clippers to post-harvest care essentials. It's a collection of items perfect for the gardener who dreams of endless rose bouquets.
For Organic Gardens: Support sustainable growing practices with gifts like soil tests, fertilizers, and pest deterrents. My curated picks promote healthy, eco-friendly gardening, making them ideal for the organic gardener on your list.
For The Home: Our home collection showcases beautiful wreaths, floral-scented candles, and handmade décor inspired by nature. These gifts bring the charm of Menagerie Farm indoors, adding a floral touch to any space.
Floral Design Must-Haves: Essential tools and materials for aspiring or professional floral designers, including high-quality snips, vases, and flower frogs. Help bring their floral visions to life!
Rose Care Favorites: For rose enthusiasts, I've gathered top tools and treatments for rose care, including pruners, organic fertilizers, and rose sprays—perfect for anyone passionate about growing fragrant cut garden roses.
Stocking Stuffers: Small yet special! Our stocking stuffers feature gloves, candles, notebooks, and other delightful items that make perfect add-ons or quick little gifts.
Treat Yourself: Why not indulge in a bit of retail therapy? Our "Treat Yourself" category includes luxurious rose-scented home products, harvest baskets, and buttery soft leather gloves - everything I would gift myself.
I hope this inspires some ideas for your holiday gift-giving. Let us help you find meaningful gifts that bring the joy of flowers and the spirit of the farm to your loved ones! If you have any questions about selecting gifts from our shop, just reply to this email, and our flower elves will be delighted to assist you.
The best part? This week, we're having our biggest sale of the holiday season, with EVERYTHING in our shop up to 25% off plus free standard shipping on orders over $200. We only do this sale once a year so don't miss out - early birds, it's time to kickstart your holiday shopping!
SENDING WARM WISHES YOUR WAY,
THE LIST: THINGS I'M LOVING THIS WEEK
- I've gotten so many messages about this floral tea kettle I featured in the newsletter a few weeks ago. The good news is it's finally BACK in stock! Hurry, before it's gone again.
- I'm still tweaking my Thanksgiving menu for this year, and this Cranberry Grape Compote is my eldest son's absolute favorite. In fact, it's the HIGHLIGHT of his Thanksgiving—forget the pie or stuffing; he's all about the cranberries! I originally discovered this recipe on Martha Stewart's website, but it has since been scrubbed. Thankfully, a wonderful food blogger archived it, allowing me to share it with you. It truly is one of the simplest dishes to prepare. I make it up to four days in advance, and it holds up beautifully stored in the fridge for the Thanksgiving feast. The addition of grapes gives it that special touch!
- I am in the middle of a week of TRAVEL to Southern California where I've been doing a bunch of walking. I picked up these Nike Motiva Walking shoes recently and they are like walking on air. My feet are thanking me.
- I just added a few of these fleece henley shirts to my wardrobe, and I can't get enough of them. I've been wearing the green one for the past two days while traveling. It's WARM, comfortable, and casual enough for the farm, yet stylish enough to qualify as "town clothes." It strikes the perfect balance between a sweatshirt and a sweater—truly a crossover piece I didn't know I needed!
- Last week, I DECLUTTERED my hall closet and installed storage racks that perfectly accommodate sunscreen bottles, medication, band-aids, and various toiletry items that clutter our small, old farmhouse closet. I'm always looking for ways to maximize space, and these racks are true game changers for my tiny closet space.
Q & A: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Q: How should I prepare my climbing roses for the fall/winter dormant season in a non-snowy climate?
Maria from Georgia - Zone 8a
A: Hi Maria! In mild climates like yours and mine here on the farm in Zone 9b, where roses don't go fully dormant, preparing climbing roses for winter is about protecting them from the occasional freezing weather while encouraging healthy growth for spring.
There really isn't much additional prep you need to do for a climber that would be different that how you would prep any of your shrub type roses for the winter weather. I don't do any additional prep for my climbing roses here at the farm.
Gradually reduce watering as temperatures drop, but don't let the soil dry out completely. You may need to water occasionally during dry winter spells.
Avoid fertilizing in late fall, as this encourages tender new growth that may be more susceptible to cold snaps. Stop fertilizing at least 6–8 weeks before your first expected frost, if any.
Apply a thick layer (2-3 inches) of mulch around the base of the plants to insulate roots against fluctuating temperatures. Organic mulches like compost or shredded wood chips work well.
For young climbers, avoid heavy pruning in fall. Instead, focus on removing any damaged or diseased canes. Wait until late winter or early spring to do any shaping or major pruning, which can stimulate fresh growth at the right time.
If you get occasional frosty nights, you can wrap the lower parts of the canes in burlap, frost cloth or cover the base of the plant with more mulch. This is especially useful for protecting young the tender canes of young climbers as they get more established through their first winter. The second season they likely won't require any covering at all.
With theses simple steps, your first year climbers should stay protected through winter and be ready for a strong start in the spring!
JOIN THE FUN!
Want this delivered directly to your inbox each week? CLICK HERE to subscribe to my new weekly newsletter, Growing Wonder, for simple tips on thriving roses, gardens, and homes! Each week, subscribers can submit questions for me to answer, and if yours is selected for our Q&A feature, you'll win a $25 digital gift card to the Menagerie Shop!
You can also find me on Instagram for more rose garden inspiration and exclusive behind-the-scenes moments. You can check out my favorite rose varieties and browse garden supplies at the Menagerie Shop! I also have all of things I love for my home, garden and life in easy to find collections on my Amazon Storefront and my new ShopMy Page. I truly enjoy hearing from you, so please don't hesitate to send in any questions you'd like me to answer. Have a wonderful week!
Photos by: Jill Carmel Photography
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