Dad loves his garden but is a bit of a "plant snob" - what to buy him for Christmas?

[CointreauVersial]

My Dad loves his garden, but is a bit of a plant snob (likes unusual varieties, RHS Member, collects snowdrops, that sort of thing). I'd like to buy him a nice plant (shrub or perennial) for Christmas, but fear my local Wyevale might not quite cut the mustard.

Any recommendations for anything a little bit out of the ordinary?

He has a large, but fairly sheltered garden.

how about this?

Interesting - only problem is they despatch Feb, and it would be nice to give him something on the day.

But I never thought of outdoor orchids - he loves the indoor ones (again, not the common ones you see everywhere, oh no). Good idea!

How about any gardening accessories he doesn't have or tickets to a gardening exhibition/talk? Might be a bit safer

Perhaps call someone like these people and have a chat with them? You don't have to buy anything, just get their opinion.

That's the sort of place I need, shame it's in Wrexham. I prefer to see what I'm buying, ideally.

I'm not sure he's short of accessories, but I might just check with my stepmum.......

Any other ideas, gardening gurus?

his own rose?

My DM is also a gardening enthusiast and I don't think I'd attempt to surprise her with a plant. I think Charmingly might be onto a winner, how about tickets to a gardening show? There are a few going on during the year, here are some details.

If you are anywhere near Cambridge then you could take him here, they have a winter garden with loads of different kinds of snowdrops.

SunandDucks - no roses called Rodney, alas....

The idea of a gardening show is brilliant - I think I will do that next year and buy two tickets to include my stepmum too (it's something they would definitely rather go to together, and I've already got her a present).

I popped to my local garden centre to see if they had anything interesting, but it was a complete waste of time - the place was wall-to-wall Christmas Trees, with a few miserable plants squashed at the back.

I really would rather buy something to put in his garden......

Tickets for the Chelsea flower show?

There's not much around at this time of year, even at the good garden centres that sell actual plants and not just plastic meerkats. Are there any nurseries near you? An online nursery would have more choice but you wouldn't be able to see what you were getting.

No. The rose is named Rodney Versial. It is named after him.

Aah, I see!

There are a couple of nurseries I might pop into, but you are right, it is a rubbish time of year to buy plants.

Something that might appeal to a plant snob (not that I am one, you understand, oh no) might be a daphne. They flower and produce gorgeous scent in winter - they're great for by the front or back door - although your dad may well have one already.

Sarah Raven Wild Flowers book?

A book? How about Yew and Non Yew - a guide to haughty-culture (I think the decimal point must be in the wrong place for the unused copies!)

Crumbs, is it really selling for that much? I think I gave mine to the charity shop - it was very funny but not the sort of book you keep for ever.

How about a fruit tree? You could buy a bare-root tree at this time of year and you could easily deliver on your Dad's quality wishes by getting a heritage variety or a rare type of fruit. Not at all expensive either; £20 ish for a 4ft tree, buy a bag of rootgrow too and then if you've still got some budget left (and if not, for his next birthday) a quality pair of fruit pruning scissors/secateurs.

Better still, as there's not much to see with a bare root, you can buy from anywhere. Just call and talk to them to get an idea of their quality and whether the is right for you. Good suppliers will talk you through whether a cordon, standard, dwarf (etc etc) type is best for your Dad's location and aspect. Also whether to get a single self-fertile tree or a pair to pollinate each other

Ashridge are well thought of

Pomona are also a good name

Walcots possibly the best known quality name IMO - I will be buying from here for my parents soon

Don't know these but looks very heritage-y

I just searched google for 'bare root fruit tree UK'. In case you really do want to buy from somewhere that you can physically go to see the nursery.

LOL at the book - I think my dad probably wrote it!

Fruit tree.....hmm.....it's quite a formal walled garden, very long, but not a lot of tree space. Although he does have an espalliered fig tree, so something dwarf might be perfect.

Daphne - good idea! All I need to do is find a Garden Centre that isn't wall-to-wall Christmas Trees (and plastic meerkats ).

Thank you everyone for your ideas. If I can't sort anything out in time for Christmas it has given me a lot of food for thought for his birthday, at least!

Has he got room for a hazel bush with its roots impregnated with truffle spores? We have given one of those and it was very well received (by gardener-foodie person). I suspect it has almost nae chance of actually producing truffles but never mind...

I really do think that - unless you have a decent nursery (not a chain garden centre meerkats-a-gogo) nearby - one of the mail order companies is going to be your friend.

I use this site a lot www.crocus.co.uk/plants/ they have lovely things,and deliver quickly. I am always happy with them and find that they stock less common varieties etc. I also love my local nursery Gwynfor Growers,but not much help unless you are in Wild West Wales .

Right now is the time for bare root roses - I've just planted 18 from David Austin - all proper English roses.

I'm definitely coming round to this mail order nursery thing - I fear I might have left it a bit late for this Christmas, though.

Crocus will deliver within a week,it usually takes about that or less for my things to arrive. Some things may be in flower now too (winter flowering honeysuckle for example). I am now jealous of you Laurie,wish I had the space for 18 new roses.