Gifts for Gardeners to Give This Holiday Season
As the gardening season winds down, fall weather will transition into winter. It won’t be long before the festive lights and decorations go up and Christmas is upon us. Now is the time to get some early shopping done and it won’t be difficult if you have a gardener on your gift list.
The first thing is to look for useful garden supplies — and don’t just think of shovels and pitchforks. There are lots of great products for gardeners that you may not be aware exist.
Types of Gardening Christmas Gifts to Look for
Before you start to look, think about the gardener you are buying for and what might best suit them. Here are the types of things you can look for when you start your search:
Indoor Gardening Gifts — If your gardener friend or relative lives in the northern climate, they may be prevented from gardening for months during the winter. These gardeners may be excited to receive a gift that helps them to grow indoors.
Helpful indoor gardening supplies can include tools and containers that are made and scaled for use in the home. Maybe your gardening gift will allow them to grow fresh herbs on the windowsill or even start seeds for the coming spring or summer garden.
Outdoor Gardening Gifts — Every outdoor gardener will appreciate a gift that relates to their gardening passion. An outdoor gardening gift shows that you realize how important gardening is for the person you are gifting. The gift you choose may be functional or it could be a garden accessory. A passionate gardener will appreciate either. There are always new tools on the market that would be fun to try.
Every gardener feels the wear and tear of gardening eventually. Perhaps they are getting a little arthritis in their hands and a new set of ergonomic tools will be easier. If you hear the gardener complain that they can’t bend over as much as in previous years, consider a garden work seat or even raised beds.
Raised beds can be as high as tabletop height, making them wheelchair accessible or perfect for an elderly gardener who can’t bend over any longer. These raised beds can be purchased, or they are perfect as a DIY project.
Plants, Corms, Tubers and More — Don’t forget plants! A new houseplant is always welcome, but keep in mind the needs of the plants you buy and also the gardener’s availability to light. If there is unlimited space with lots of light, most houseplants will do well. If there is limited access to light, a shade-tolerant plant would be better.
You could also give a perennial or plants like dahlias or gladiolas, which will grow from corms or tubers. They will be shipped at the appropriate time for the correct grow zone where your gardener friend or family member lives. They can then be started in a pot indoors for an early start or planted directly in the soil outside.
Books, Memberships, Apps, and More — If you are not comfortable getting a specific gardening gift or plant, choose a gift of knowledge. Purchase the latest gardening book that relates to the kind of gardening your friend or family member enjoys. Download the From Seed to Spoon app and give the premium version to friends and family. With customized dates for gardening tasks and reminders when they are due, your garden is easier than ever. It can be about vegetable gardens or flower gardens — or maybe get something more specific and purchase a book about roses or organic gardening.
You could give the gift of a year’s membership to a nearby botanical garden or plan a day trip to a botanical garden with your friend. There are lots of clothing items available that show the person's love of gardening like floral tees or socks. Perhaps you can get them a wide brim or baseball style cap that will protect the gardener from the sun.
12 Great Christmas Gift Suggestions for Gardeners
There are so many opportunities to find the perfect Christmas gift for gardeners. Here are some terrific products for you to choose from:
1. The World’s Coolest Rain Gauge
This rain gauge is unlike any other. A traditional rain gauge is calibrated and fills up with water as it rains. It is difficult to see the amount of rain close-up and impossible to see from a distance. The World's Coolest Rain Gauge also fills up as it rains; however, that is where the similarity ends.
The solid copper flute collects the rainwater causing a bright blue polycarbonate inner tube to float upward. The contrast between the copper outer tube and the blue inner tube is so strong that it is easy to see, even at a distance. Simply put, the more blue that shows, the more rain that has fallen. This gift choice will add a contemporary vibe to any garden.
2. Hummingbird Feeder
All gardeners know the importance of the pollinators to the success of a garden. Any gift that will attract more pollinators, including hummingbirds, to the garden will be appreciated by both parties. There are numerous hummingbird feeders available and it will be hard to choose.
The only thing cuter than the feeder itself is the hummingbirds that will come throughout the day to feed. Just for fun, challenge your gardener with a hummingbird ring. Place the ring on your finger and if the gardener is patient enough, the hummingbird will feed from the ring.
3. Fiskars Garden Bucket Caddy
This bucket caddy fits around the outside of a 5-gallon pail. Made of durable canvas, the bucket caddy is so strong it has a lifetime warranty. The caddy has numerous pockets to hold all your hand tools. Because the caddy fits around the outside of the bucket, the inside of the bucket is available for whatever else you need to carry.
If the gardener is weeding, put the pulled weeds in the bucket for later disposal. Use it for carrying seed packets in the spring. Add water to the bucket and pick a fresh bouquet of flowers to take indoors. Use your bucket to carry the vegetables from your garden indoors for dinner that night. This is one of the most versatile and useful tools any gardener would love to receive.
4. Fiskars Ergo Garden Tool Set
This tool set contains a trowel, transplanter and cultivator. This three-piece set is made from durable cast aluminum. The blades are sharpened to easily cut through soil and sod. Best of all is the ergonomic design, which makes working less stressful on the gardener’s hand and wrist.
Minimizing hand and wrist fatigue will allow the gardener to use these tools for longer periods of time. The ergonomic design may even allow a gardener with mild arthritis to continue gardening. This tool set would be a perfect companion gift for the Bucket Caddy.
5. Bird House
Nothing is more attractive in the garden than a collection of bird houses. Perched on a fence post or hanging from a tree, a bird house can reflect the style of the gardener’s home or just accentuate the style of the garden. A bird house can be a DIY project or choose a finished bird house with unique features like a repurposed drawer pull as the door perch.
6. Bird Feeders
Bird feeders are especially important in the north where winter food can be difficult for birds to find in the harsh weather and snow cover. Why not choose some bird seed treats in unique shapes like bells, a house or even a raccoon?
Hanging in the trees and bushes or suspended in a window where the gardener can watch the birds from the comfort of their home, these bird seed feeders look attractive as well as being functional. Your gardener probably has some regular feeders, but novelty feeders would be a fun gift idea that they will remember came from you.
7. Glass Succulent Garden
If you are looking for a unique plant idea, how about a glass container filled with a variety of succulents. Succulents are one of the easiest plants to grow indoors as they will tolerate the lower light level and they are so hardy that even a little neglect won’t harm them. Add a unique glass container that can be hung or set on a tabletop to make this living gift even more special.
8. Hydroponic Garden
A hydroponic garden is a garden grown without soil. The plants are grown in water with nutrients added. There is a lot of work being done around the world to expand our food sources by growing hydroponically.
Today, there are small kits available for growing a hydroponic garden on your kitchen counter. If your gardener likes to try new things, this is the perfect gift. Herbs or salad greens are a great choice for a first-time hydroponic gardener.
9. Bonsai Tool Kit
If your gardener friend has a collection of indoor plants, a Bonsai Tool Kit would be a perfect gift. While they may not grow Bonsai, these tools are scaled to be used on indoor plants grown in a container.
There are four tools included in the kit that are made with steel for durability and sharpness and have wood handles for sustainability. These unique tools will last a lifetime and beyond.
10. Lemon Tree
Go big this year! Purchase a tree — a lemon tree, that is! If your gardener has a sunny room or even a sun-facing patio door, a lemon tree is the easiest of the citrus fruit trees to grow indoors.
Not only will your friend have the bragging rights of an indoor tree, they will be able to pick fresh lemons from their tree in a few months. This is the Christmas gift that keeps on giving.
11. Park Seed’s Bio Dome
Has your gardener friend talked about seed starting every spring when it is time to plant the garden? Give the gift of a seed starting package that includes the easy-to-use Bio Dome, along with a collection of seeds for the coming gardening season.
Your gardener may just need the seed starting setup for starting plants from seeds indoors to give them the impetus to try it out. They are sure to be successful if they use a Bio Dome and soon you may be sharing the results with the person you gifted.
12. Vego Garden Rasied Bed
Customizable garden beds with award-winning design, functionality, and sustainability.
From garden beds to arched trellises, mesh covers, and accessories, this complete modular gardening system allows you to create a garden that perfectly suits your needs and gives you all the tools to successfully grow whatever you want … wherever you want.
Still Not Sure What to Get as the Perfect Christmas Gardening Gift?
Volunteer to help your friend or family member with fall cleanup in their garden. While you are there, pay attention to the type of garden gloves they use, what things need replacing or what would make the garden chores easier. This will help you to identify good gift ideas for the future.
Listen to your gardener’s comments. They may tell you what they would really like to have. Look at the style of their yard and gardens. If they have a casual cottage garden look, choose an accessory that matches.
On the other hand, if they have a very contemporary style, any accent piece you might gift them should also be in the same style. You are sure to have lots of ideas for gardening gifts after spending time in your friend’s garden.
