Counting today, there are only 18 shopping days before Christmas. With that said, some of you may be wondering what you can give to the favorite gardener on your gift giving list. Others may still be putting together a wish list to mail to Santa Claus in hopes that the elves still have time to put together a package full of goodies for delivery down your chimney on Christmas Eve.

For gardeners, book or magazine subscriptions are one of the best and most used gifts. Some of the many magazines that offer gift subscriptions are Fine Gardening, Garden Design, Herb Quarterly, Horticulture Magazine, Louisiana Gardener, Mississippi Gardener, Organic Gardening, The Herb Companion and Water Gardening magazine. A subscription will remind your favorite gardener of your thoughtfulness for the entire year of 2006.

Books are available about many specific subjects within the topic of gardening and landscaping. Miss-Lou gardeners who desire publications with information concentrated solely on our region have many choices.

Month-By-Month Gardening in Mississippi is one such book. Written by Bob Polomski and edited by Felder Rushing, this book is divided into 12 chapters.

Each chapter covers one subject such as Annuals and Biennials, Herbs and Vegetables, Houseplants, Lawns, Roses or Water Gardening. Within each chapter are suggestions to guide you through monthly activities to maintain and improve your landscape.

A similar title is Month-By-Month Gardening in Louisiana by Dan Gill.

Flowers Native to the Deep South and Wild Flowers of Louisiana, both authored by Caroline Dorman are classics for southern gardeners who like to add a naturalistic appearance to their landscape. Wildflowers of the Natchez Trace is a superb book written by Stephen L. Timme and Caleb Timme that covers the abundant variety of beautiful flora along one of the nation&8217;s most scenic drives. This book is the perfect accompaniment for a drive up the trace.

For the rosarian on your list, Antique Roses for the South by William C. Welch is now available in an updated paperback version.

This is a &8220;must have&8221; for the gardener who is truly interested in the history of the rose. Roses in the Southern Garden written by G. Michael Shoup, owner of the mail order nursery, The Antique Rose Emporium, is another selection that any rose aficionado would love.

Other specialty titles for southern gardeners include Butterfly Gardening for the South by Geyata Ajilvsgi. This book has beautiful photographs of butterflies one might find in their landscape and the flowers that attract them, as well as descriptions of both and gardening tips. For those who are trying to get rid of critters in the landscape, Gardening in Deer Country by Vincent Drzewucki Jr., Deer Proofing Your Yard and Garden by Rhonda Massingham Hart or Squirrel Wars: Backyard Wildlife Battles and How to Win Them by George H. Harrison may be the ideal selection.

Books are always prized by gardeners and what better time to receive a new selection to enjoy while curled up close to the fire than when &8220;the weather outside is frightful.&8221;

Traci Maier

can be reached via e-mail at

ratmaier@bellsouth.net

.