Eucalyptus Gift Guide
Photographs by Lane Johnson
The buzz is for real: Bees are one of our most important plant pollinators and are responsible for nearly half of the food we eat, but their populations are in decline. You can do your part to help this important little insect: Invite the non-stinging Mason bee to build a hive in your garden by installing a MASON BEE HOUSE. Made from durable, eco-friendly bamboo, these attractive bee houses should be set in a high spot that gets morning sun. $17, www.gardeners.com
In a previous life, some of these bags were soda bottles; others were scraps on the cutting room floor. SLAINTE bags, purses, and totes are handmade in San Francisco from recycled fabrics or eco-friendly cotton. Jet-setters appreciate the bags’ ability to pack flat while pack rats cherish the multiple pockets that keep everything in its place. Pictured here is the “cityblock” moon bag and “alter” coin purse. $12-$89, www.slaintebags.com
Could any creature on earth be cuter than a SEA OTTER? No, not even a truckload of baby ducks. Give your child cuddly dreams with this fuzzy, two-foot-long sea otter holding a sea star. Your purchase will support the important work of the ocean researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. $30, www.montereybayaquarium.org/store
Some say that if you look deeply at a pinecone, you will see the face of God. A symbol of everlasting life, the pinecone has served throughout the ages as a religious icon for Catholics, Hindus, and Egyptians. THIRD EYE PINECONES makes beautiful handcrafted pendants from a cross-section of a conifer cone. Each one-of-a-kind necklace is inlaid with gems, crystals, shells, or fossils. $60-$100, www.thirdeyepinecones.com
If you want to plant a garden, but you’re daunted by the mysteries of assessing your microclimate and knowing what to plant when, the third edition of GOLDEN GATE GARDENING by Pam Peirce will clear the ground so you can till the soil. In this 400-page tome, the author provides tips on everything from rooftop gardening to cultivating citrus trees. This new edition includes insights on growing 2011’s hippest vegetables: shell beans, broccoli raab, and Florence fennel. $20, your local bookstore or www.amazon.com
You and your iPhone are practically joined at the ear, so why not protect it from clumsy drops on hard surfaces while simultaneously protecting yourself from possible cell phone radiation? PONG RESEARCH makes the only cell phone case that is certified by the FCC to redirect radiation away from your head without messing up your wireless signal. The cases come in five sleek colors for the iPhone, Blackberry, and Android. $50, www.pongresearch.com
After water, tea is the number one most-consumed beverage in every country in the world except the United States. If you’re wondering what everybody else knows that we don’t, pour yourself a cup of one of SATORI TEA COMPANY’s teas. Whether you choose Margaret’s Hope Darjeeling or Irish Breakfast, steamy, satisfying depths of taste await. All Satori Teas are organic and fair-trade certified, so you can feel good about your cup. $15-$20 for 6 ounces, www.thesatoriteacompany.com