Gardeners across the globe can at times get obsessive about their soil and the conditions in which they are grown. This is no big surprise – after all, so much can really depend on the nature of the soil and where and how the plants are grown. However, this equals a great Christmas gift idea. Think about it, there are a wide variety of products available that can fuse technology with gardening and soil conditions into a great gift idea!

If you know someone who is really into what they are doing, make their life easier with an electronic soil tester. This will allow them to measure the pH level of the soil in which crops are growing. This is important, because different plants and vegetables sometimes require different pH levels to properly make use of the total amount of nutrients available when growing. By monitoring the pH level properly, the result can be a higher yield of plants and crop growth, and larger, tastier product in the end. With this particular soil tester, you can also check the moisture level, and there is a light meter which can tell if the plants are receiving the necessary amount of sunlight as well. This electronic soil tester is basically a win-win situation. At $37.99, it’s a solid buy that will make an excellent holiday gift idea.

The trouble with garden hoses in my experience is that most of them are lawn colored.  Now this may be a boon to those who are more organized or indeed have better eyesight than me; you can leave your hose out while watering the lawn and not have it stick out like a sore thumb.  For me it simply becomes a hazard because invariably the hose winds up wrapped around the blades of my mower; such is the nature of camouflage.

These days I prefer a easier to avoid yellow hose but then my lawn then looks like…Well, it looks like a lawn with yellow hoses.  Hose reels are no more attractive either because now not only can people see the hose it’s elevated and there’s this big contraption looking like part of a medieval siege engine hiding in your bushes. 

But not to worry, this ingenious product takes care of the organization and hides the hose nicely to boot.  This nifty poly resin bowl has a hole in the back to feed the hose through, and inside you can coil up 75 feet of “as ugly as you want it” garden hose.  The lid doubles as a planter perfectly hiding whatever color water hose you may keep in there. 

The Hose Bowl Planter is available from Skymall for $59.99

If you’re looking for a fun way to get your kids involved in composting, try out a worm-composting bin that uses red wiggler worms. Worm composting (also known as vermicomposting) is a clean, safe, and odor-free way to compost your family’s kitchen scraps. This is way more fun than an ant farm, and better for the environment, too! Worm composting also allows you to compost year round, as you can move the bin inside your garage during the coolest months of winter.

Looking for a cool gift for the gardener who likes to cook? Check out the Aerogrow indoor kitchen garden.

The comprehensive video review above comes from Groovy Green, a great site about sustainable living and renewable energy.

Feeling lazy about going out to the compost bin in the winter? Not to worry, this kitchen compost unit is an excellent gardening gift that allows you to compost (smell-free) from the comfort of your own kitchen! It uses a unique fermenting process to decompose organic material. The kitchen composter is also a great gift for those who live in apartments and who may not have room to set up an outdoor compost bin.

Vegetable gardening just got a lot easier with this cool upside down planter from Hammacher Schlemmer & Company. It holds up to 80 pounds of topsoil and is also suitable for growing other plants like herbs on the top layer. This planter is great for balconies, decks, or any space that gets enough sunlight!

And don’t forget about the award winning Topsy Turvy Planter for growing great tomatoes vertically!

Fall cleanup can be a hassle. However, this excellent Troy-Bilt Self Propelled 6.5HP Chipper Shredder Vac can make life easier. This machine is basically three high powered tools in one! It has a vacuum nozzle, chipper chute and shredder attachment. You can raise and lower the vacuum nozzle to work on a variety of different terrains. 6.5 HP means it will work even with the most difficult yard care chores!

I just noticed that Amazon.com is having a big sale on tools for fall and winter gardening .

For example, you can get this excellent Toro Electric Power Curve Snow Thrower for a little over $100.00 off the original price. The sale price is $275.96 plus shipping and handling. The snow thrower features an electric motor and 18-inch clearing width.

Organic Gardening for the 21st Century: A Complete Guide to Growing Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs and Flowers is an excellent book that will introduce you to all the newest organic gardening techniques and technologies. The book starts with the basics of organic gardening, and then goes on to describe more advanced techniques, making it a perfect resource for all gardeners. The tips are useful and practical, too, without being out of reach for the average gardener.

Check out more books about organic gardening here.

Got heavy cleaning up to do in the garden that requires lots of chopping and cutting, but don’t want to use a big chainsaw? The Pocket Chain Saw is a great alternative. You can make quick work of logs and branches with this handy garden tool made of high strength, heat-treated steel. In addition to helping out in the garden, because of its compact size the Pocket Chain Saw can help you get around unusual work spaces. It also makes a great camping tool and will allow you to cut firewood or clear a trail or campsite in minutes. The saw when stored weighs only 5 oz.