Make gift-giving practical for yourself, too, by ordering from catalogs or online — you need never approach a mall or drive in traffic to search out the sharpest blade or most comfortable clog. These gifts can arrive on your doorstep, or better yet be mailed directly to the recipient, with simply a phone call or click of a mouse.

While pragmatic gifts are always welcome, the holidays are also a time to lift the spirit. To this end, I've included a suggestion to warm the heart, and one to deck the garden.

Wind and Weather catalog offers handsome, weatherproof, easy-to-read thermometers in an oversized round (nearly 9 inches wide) that resembles a classic pocket watch. A lifetime guarantee, readings in both Fahrenheit and Celsius scales, and a bendable support so it can be positioned to read from indoors, make this an ideal gift for weather watchers — and what gardener isn't? $79.95 (www.windandweather.com; 800-922-9463).

Ask any gardener what tool is most important to them, and you'll hear about diggers and pruners that fit comfortably in the hand and function like an extension of the arm. Womanswork catalog (their motto is "Strong women building a gentle world") offers sturdy tools in sizes and weights for women. The Ho-Mi, which translates to "little ground spear," has a comfortably rounded wooden handle and sharply shiny curved blade. An ideal tool for weeding, digging and thinning, it also works surprisingly well for the difficult task of lifting root-bound plants out of pots. $21.50 (www.womanswork.com; 800-639-2709).

'Ho-Mi' tool from Womanswork

Loppers need to be lightweight enough to hold with a fully extended arm, and open sufficiently wide to cut off a branch. Gardener's Supply Co. carries Fiskars brand PowerGear loppers that "multiply your strength" with the extra leverage provided by their gear mechanism. Made in Finland, the sleek black and yellow loppers come in two sizes, with Teflon-coated blades and aluminum handles. $36.95 and $69.95. (www.gardeners.com; 800-863-1700).

What we all need, right outside the back door, are boots that pull on easily, have slip-proof tread, and repel wet and muck. Smith & Hawken's waterproof, flexible rubber Scrub Boots fit these criteria, in a good-looking two-tone combination of black bottoms with a green collar that comes up to mid-calf. Heels and toes are reinforced, the tread is sturdy and deep, and a thick layer of insulation keeps toes toasty even on the coldest, wettest days. In men's and women's sizes, $68 (www.smithandhawken.com; 800-776-3336).

			Tile for new Merrill Hall Commons

To warm the heart this season, you can bestow benevolence by helping to buy a building. Make the gardener on your list a permanent part of the new Merrill Hall Commons at the Center for Urban Horticulture. The atrium lobby, designed by Miller-Hull architects and envisioned as a gathering and display space for the public, is being built with community support, one tile at a time. To purchase a polished concrete tile engraved with a native leaf and the giftee's name (or your own) contact the center at 206-685-8033, or urbhort@u.washington.edu. Tiles come in three sizes, $85, $150, $250, and will be part of the flooring in the new building.

And now for the decorative, for who can dream of Christmas without sugarplums? Fremont Gardens is making one-of-a-kind pillows out of concrete that look exactly like chenille or velveteen pillows from the '50s and '60s. Remember when every plaid davenport was graced with throw pillows tufted with buttons, in shades of faded green, pink or lavender? These pillows, crafted one at a time of color-infused concrete, fool the eye with a texture so realistic you have to touch them to convince yourself they're not made of fabric. The pillows can stay outdoors year-round to make benches and chairs appear colorful and comfy, or they work as non-slip stepping stones. Each pillow is a clever surprise no matter where it ends up in the garden. $60, at Fremont Gardens, 4001 Leary Way; 206-781-8283.