Gifts for Gardeners

With the holiday season nearly upon us and shelter-in-place orders on the rise (with good reason), finding the right gifts for those nearest and dearest to our hearts can be difficult. For the gardeners on your list, this should help.

Hand tools

Hand tools are invaluable to the gardener, and they have a big impact on how easy the work can be. When shopping for hand tools, avoid the flashy, inexpensive models. The rubberized handles become sticky, blades come apart from their handles, and the edges are either too dull to be useful, or they start rusting as soon as you use them. Instead, invest in high quality, well made tools.

​This set was a splurge gift that I use every single day. They are comfortable in my hand, have enough weight that the tools do most of the work, and, hey, they look fantastic! One well-made, high quality hand tool can easily become a favorite of the gardener in your life. This is a gift that will be used for many years.

Fisher Blacksmithing garden tools

Seed collections

To a gardener, seeds present a world of opportunity. And you can create a custom seed collection that won’t break your bank and is sure to delight the gardener in your life. You can create a seed collection around any theme. Here are just a few ideas:

• purple produce: purple beans, cauliflower, kale, and peas looks great in the garden and they are easy to find, come harvest time
• tea party collection: combine chamomile, lemon balm, mint, and other fragrant tea-related seeds along with a tin of shortbread cookies
• herbs often make the meal and you can provide the seeds to grow the herbs in Italian, Mexican, Asian, and many other favorite menus
• native wildflowers: search online for a list of flowers native to your region and help your gardener friend increase biodiversity and pollination rates, while making their garden look lovely
• pizza garden seeds: it may not include pepperoni and mozzarella, but basil, oregano, tomato, and pepper seeds are always welcome!
• salad garden seeds: there are plenty of different lettuces and other salad greens to choose from, plus cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and maybe even some groundcherries

Purple cauliflower (Kate Russell)

Fresh salad greens! (Kate Russell)

Really, you are limited only by your own imagination and the recipient’s climate. Pack the seeds in a nice sturdy harvesting basket or make them a seed box and you can be sure they will enjoy your gift.

​Gloves

Gardeners go through gloves. Seriously. This is something we buy on a pretty regular basis. Personally, I don’t know about those strange looking claw-tipped gloves, they give me the creeps, but a nice pair of breathable, rubber- or latex-coated gloves are sure to come in handy. And a pair of heavy duty work gloves are always nice to have on hand.

Seed box (Kate Russell)

Trees and shrubs

Winter is a good time to order bare root trees and shrubs. Fruit and nut trees provide a bounty for many years and your gardener friend will be delighted at your thoughtfulness. Just be sure that the tree or shrub you select matches the number of chill hours your recipient’s garden gets before you buy.

A basket of bulbs

A nice basket filled with saffron crocus, tulip, garlic, and onion bulbs can add color and edibles to your friend's spring and autumn garden.

Work benches, knee pads, and tool belts

As we get older, all that bending and kneeling can get difficult. Portable benches and kneelers are available with handy pockets for tools, allowing gardeners to sit or kneel more comfortably as they work the soil. Knee pads can provide relief and allow your gardener friend to stay at their hobby longer.

Moisture meters, soil tests, and other tech

I’d love to tell you that those bug hotels make great gifts, but they don’t. Not in the long run. As charming as they look online (and in the garden), they often end up harboring diseases and I do not recommend them. Instead, you can help your gardener friend attract beneficial insects with insectary plants or seeds.

Moisture meters are excellent garden tools and they aren’t expensive. Help the gardener in your life conserve water while ensuring that their plants get the moisture they need. [You may want to order one for yourself, while you’re at it!]

Soil tests are invaluable at helping gardeners provide for their plants, but those colorful little plastic tubes are not the way to go. Instead, reach out to a local (to your recipient) soil test lab and get a gift certificate for your loved one.

Solar lights add a nice touch to gardens, as do many types of garden art. Just make sure that you are not adding toxins to your loved one’s vegetable patch with your gift. Birdbaths and trellising make nice gifts, too.

Bird baths attract a variety of local birds (Kate Russell)

Self-watering containers are great for areas with super hot summers, food-grade garden hoses and soaker hoses are always nice, and your gardener friend may even want to try their hand at raising worms! Or, honey bees!

For the children
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Seeds and child-sized tools can be a great way to introduce gardening to the youngsters on your holiday shopping list. They will get a lot out of the experience (and your company!) as they plant their very own sunflowers, radishes, and peas, or create a storybook garden themed after their favorite bedtime story.

Shopping for gardeners is, in my opinion, a lot easier than shopping for tech enthusiasts. You don’t have to be knowledgeable about gardening to be able to pick great gifts.

What’s your favorite gardening gift?