Veg patch questions

[Eddas]

Hello, my siblings and I are trying to work out what to buy our dad for his birthday. My brother thinks he would like some gardening things, particulaly things to do with his veg patch. We all know absolutely nothing about gardening and are particularly clueless about growing veg

The veg patch will be either very new or non-existant at the moment.

Can anyone give me any ideas on what is a really useful present? Any good books/tools? anything really, as I said we are clueless

TIA

[gingerninja]

If you've got nothing you'll need the basics like Spade, fork, rake, trowel just to prepare the earth and plant.

I've got some Dorling Kindersley veg gardening books which are great reference books. You can often pick them up cheap at the Bookpeople. (google the bookpeople)

You could also buy some seeds to get him going

Or, you could just buy vouchers from the garden centre.

[sis]

some seeds of the vegetables that he likes to eat, has he got a greenhouse? if not and he doesn't have much space, you can buy mini greenhouses with plastic covers. lots of bamboo sticks of different lengths.

[Swedes]

A small poly-tunnel - brilliant if he doesn't have a greenhouse.

[Eddas]

thankyou, he probably has the basic trowel/spade etc. The reason I think there may not be a veg patch yet is that they moved in June 2006 and had the garden landscaped and probably let everything settle in last year and i'd imagine his plan is to start a patch this year.

I will look at those books gingerninja, I love the bookpeople, think I may be addicted to buying dc's books

sis, he doesn't have a greenhouse. seeds a good idea. I could maybe buy him a basket (can't think waht they're called, you kow the gardening ones!) and maybe put books/seeds etc in there? I did buy him some garden gloves and secateurs(I just know that's not how that's spelt) for christmas so he doesn't need those.

I'll get my brother to look in his shed to see what's already there

[Eddas]

swedes, are they very big? I know you said small I'll look into that.

Thank you

[Eddas]

how about a subsciption to a gardening mag? are there any good ones that you'd recommend?

[sis]

Your your own is good and often has free seeds.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

do you mean a 'trug'?
Could also go for a really decent watering can. Gardening gloves. A little showerproof radio if he likes to listen to radio while gardening. Decent secateurs always nice. I like the polytunnel idea. Also I think you can get Garden centre vouchers.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

oh bum - sorry read down thread and saw you'd already got him gloves and secateurs!
A water butt? A compost heap bin thingy? or a wormery?

[sis]

or one of those wind up radios - it's great when I remember to take mine to the allotment!