Last minute Christmas gift ideas from the garden

Got extra house guests coming for the holidays? No time to shop? Depleted your Christmas money several weeks ago? Why not look to your garden harvest for ideas? Sure, gardening season ended long ago. That's alright. You can still make use of your harvest with some of these last minute Christmas gift ideas from the garden.

Spice things up.

Surely you have some strings of peppers hanging in your root cellar. You can dress them up with a bow for a quick last minute gift. Better yet, rehydrate them. Make some pepper jelly or red hot sauce for your unexpected guests. This garden gift is even Christmas color themed!

What else is hanging around?

If you're like most gardeners, you have an abundance of dried herbs. Why not share them as Christmas gifts? Wrap them in cheesecloth and tie for handmade herbal tea bags. Seep them in vinegar for a tasty condiment. Make herbal extracts by soaking them in Vodka. Or, simply fill a set of pretty spice jars.

Take stock of your canned goods.

They're not in fancy jars because you made them for personal use. That's OK. A little fluff can fix that issue. Pair assorted garden canned goods in a pretty little fabric lined basket. Top it off with an herbal sprig for a festive homemade Christmas gift. It's a natural!

How about that surplus squash?

You have scads of it stored in the basement. From zucchini to pumpkins, there's way more than you can eat. Why not put together a colorful mix of assorted squash and other root veggies? Pack it in a grapevine cornucopia for added flare.

Last minute gifts from the garden aren't meant to be fancy.

They're meant to be useful and delicious. So, don't sweat over the details. Just assess your inventory and put your imagination to work. Somewhere in your house is the perfect garden gift for those unexpected Christmas guests.