Clever gifts brighten the holidays for gardeners.

Byline: Gardening by Sarah Robertson For The Register-Guard

GARDENERS ARE notoriously easy to please when it comes to gift giving, a fact not lost on clever retailers who hope to entice buyers with possibilities ranging from fine art to fresh compost.

With the holidays fast approaching, here are a few ideas to consider as you feverishly scurry (if you're like me!) to wrap up your shopping in time to relax and enjoy all that the season offers. Cheers!

Multifamily gift certificate: This is an especially appropriate gift for any gardener experiencing difficulty in getting outside to work in the yard. The idea is pretty simple - a contingent of family members or friends agrees to help someone winterize and tidy up their landscape.

Using your computer or an artistic hand, create a homemade gift certificate that spells out the particulars: Name of recipient; the folks who are contributing their time and talents; what chores you'll be doing; how many visits you'll be making and, most importantly, spell out that the recipient is to do absolutely nothing! Except, of course, to request that time be spent on a specific job not outlined in the certificate.

To make it extra special, tuck the certificate into a basket containing garden-related tools, books, bird-feeders, jewelry or clothing.

Holiday-shaped bird cookies: A great gift for bird lovers and easy enough to create that even young children can help in the crafting process. First, select three to five of your favorite holiday cookie cutters. Trace them on a piece of paper and then enlarge them so that each shape is 6 to 10 inches in length (easily done on a copy machine). Cut out your design, trace it onto a piece of sturdy cardboard and then use either a craft knife or sharp kitchen scissors to cut out the final shape.

Use a hole punch to punch two holes in each design: one at the top for string with which to hang your cookie, another at the bottom. At project's end, you'll be slipping a 3-inch length of doweling through this bottom hole to create a perch. Make sure the doweling you purchase fits snugly.

Now it's time to spread smooth peanut butter (it should be pretty stiff - refrigerate for about an hour ahead of time if your brand doesn't normally live in the fridge) on one side of the cardboard. Press this sticky side onto a rimmed cookie sheet that has been filled with millet or some similar combination of small-sized bird seed. Repeat on the other side, making sure you scoop up seed to stick to the edges.

Insert dowels and string handles, then lay finished cakes on a cookie sheet to harden in the freezer.

Wrap cookies in festive cellophane (with an identification tag marking them for bird consumption, just in case!). Include a book on birding behavior or identification for added pleasure.

Plants and related gear: Hey, can a gardener have too many of either? Whether it's a rugged houseplant, coveted conifer or decadent pair of fleece-lined garden boots, your efforts are sure to please.

If you're purchasing an outdoor plant, make sure it's in a container where it can live happily for a few months. Although the weather is usually warm enough to allow for winter planting, your recipient may not feel like digging a hole until conditions start warming up.

Work aprons - with pockets for holding pruning shears, plant labels and the like - are very much appreciated by some gardeners. Others prefer to haul their stuff around in 5-gallon paint buckets that have been fitted with special canvas sleeves that have enough pockets to hold a veritable feast of planting implements. Neither type of tool-holder is expensive and both are readily available at garden centers, nurseries, specialty garden stores and home improvement centers.

Sturdy garden shears are a classic gift that's always appreciated, probably because most gardeners misplace at least one pair per season!

Many reasonably priced pruners are technological wonders offering padded grips, ergonomic styling and stylish colors all in one neat and tidy package. Hand shears range in size from small (clever pocket-sized models designed for the delicate work of snipping herbs) to substantial (some have ratchet gears that make it easy to remove even wrist-thick tree limbs).

Lighting and/or electrical outlets are not gifts that immediately pop to mind when most of us contemplate a garden gift. But for those who garden without such amenities, the lust for wiring is strong indeed. If you have electrical handyman/handywoman capabilities, it's worth considering giving your own gift certificate for wiring or lighting. Fountains, mood lighting, ponds, waterfalls, deck and patio areas and pathways all need either access to electricity and/or lighting in order to look their best. Trust me when I tell you that you'd be making your favorite gardener extremely happy!

Sarah Robertson of Eugene writes a weekly gardening column for The Register-Guard.