Gifts for Indoor Gardeners

Gifts for Indoor Gardeners: 20 Unique Gift Ideas

There are all types of indoor gardeners. Some grow indoors because they live in an apartment and have no outdoor space. Others prefer the control of indoor gardening with minimal pests and weather concerns. Most gardeners face several months a year when the ground is frozen and maybe covered with a thick layer of snow, so indoor growing is the only option. Whatever the reason, there are lots of gift ideas for the indoor gardener.

Considerations Before Gifting Plants

If you want to gift an actual plant, there are some things to consider. For instance, if the person you are gifting has seasonal allergies, it may be better to stay away from flowering plants. Pets are also a concern. Some animals will try to eat everything, and there are some plants that are toxic to cats and dogs. If this is a concern, check online to verify the safety of the plant you are thinking of purchasing for your pet owner. Lastly, keep in mind the gardening experience level of the person you are gifting. If they are a beginner, purchase a plant that is pretty foolproof. You don’t want to set them up for failure by gifting a high maintenance plant. On the other hand, an experienced gardener may be ready and willing to take on a challenge. 

What Else Can I Gift? 

Not sure if you should gift a plant? Go for gardening tools or setups to increase the amount of gardening that can be done. It is always fun to try a new tool or replace a worn tool with something new. Starting seeds and growing them into plants is fun, as well as a learning process. Growing in new ways is also fun and made easy if you have all you need in a startup kit.

Looking for more gift options? Here are 20 unique gift ideas for the indoor gardener in your life:

Houseplants

This is probably an obvious first choice, but there are so many different types of houseplants available today. The variety of plants is really exciting. There are different textures and shapes to the foliage as well as the color. Look for unique or contrasting foliage so the plant will look interesting even when not flowering. If you are buying a collection of plants to gift, check that they all have the same light requirement, so they can successfully stay together.

Seed Starter Kit

This past year, many people returned to gardening. The motivation may have been food security, but many people found a new love of gardening. If you are searching for the perfect gift for a gardener, they will love having the ability to start their seeds indoors. These seed starter kits come with everything needed to successfully start plants from seeds.

Bonsai

If you are gifting an experienced gardener, they may enjoy the challenge of trying bonsai. Accompany your plant with a good book on how to train the plant into the classic bonsai shape.

Terrarium

A terrarium can be very low maintenance if properly set up. This is an enclosed system that can be bought as a kit, or you can purchase a glass container with all the necessary ingredients. Plants can be tropical in feel or consider a cactus garden or a garden of succulents. Perhaps you can match the indoor gardener’s favorite place with a miniature terrarium version.

Indoor Watering Can

When we start growing indoors, most of us water our plants with any container we have handy. A regular outdoor watering can is too large to water indoor plants. So, we use a measuring cup, an iced tea pitcher or a coffee mug. The problem is it drips everywhere while we water. A great indoor watering can is a welcome gift. It should have a spout that is long enough to reach under the foliage and water the soil directly. 

Decorative Waterers

These waterers are usually glass with a long spout that is inserted into the topsoil. The spout is connected to a decorative glass globe that acts as a water reservoir. The water is gradually released into the soil. Some of these waterers have replaced the glass globe with a hollow figure like a bird or flower. These are great for keeping the soil moist between watering or when the house plants tend to dry out. They are also great for the person who travels.

Herb Garden

If the person on your gift list has a sunny window, they can successfully grow a windowsill herb garden. Purchase a window box container and fill it with a variety of herbs. If you know what herbs they like to use in cooking, include them if possible. Plant a theme herb garden such as Italian, and include basil, parsley and cilantro. Or, choose herbs seeds for their scent. Plants like lavender, lemon balm and mint are great choices.

Fairy Gardens

This can be a gift that will introduce a child to gardening. Choose a container that is a fairy garden itself with planting pockets to add plants of your choice. For a one-of-a-kind fairy garden, purchase the pieces necessary. There are all sorts of miniature accessory pieces, including miniature fairy houses, a miniature bridge, furniture and pavers. These fairy gardens aren’t just for kids though. There are elaborately detailed fairy gardens that are a work of art. Of course, the designer also needs plants that will stay small or can be kept small through pruning.

Tools

Garden tools are always welcome, and tools made specifically for use indoors make a great gift. Indoor tools are slightly smaller and easier to use in a planted container. Some also come with carriers or you can purchase a carrier to take tools from plant to plant throughout your home and provide easier storage when not in use.
 

Shears

This is a good choice if you want to gift one tool that will get lots of use. Look for pruning shears that have a very sharp cutting surface and are preferably non-stick. The non-stick blades are invaluable if you are working with a plant that has a sticky sap. The tool clean-up is easy. Just wipe the blades with only a damp cloth or paper towel after using.

Soil Moisture Gauge

This is another great tool that will be the perfect gift for an indoor gardener. Insert the gauge into the soil of your potted plant, and you will have an accurate reading of the moisture level in your pot. No more guessing if the plant needs to be watered and no overwatering, which is the leading cause of death for houseplants.

Garden Stakes

Most gardeners have some experience with using garden stakes outdoors, but there are times when staking is necessary indoors. While a bamboo stake is adequate outdoors, an indoor gardener will appreciate something slightly more decorative. There are a wide variety of indoor garden stakes. Some are understated metal stakes, while there are also some whimsical stakes that mimic the shape of a flower stem with a colorful bloom at the top of the stake or stakes with garden creatures at the top, like a frog or dragonfly.

Portable Potting Tray

Indoor plants need to be potted up when purchased and will need repotting as they grow. Unless the gardener in your life has a potting table outdoors or in the garage, this is a task that usually is done on the kitchen counter or the dining table. With the portable potting tray, the soil is kept on the tray when repotting to make clean-up much easier. The potting tray can also be used where the plants are. Just take the tray from room to room. Also, these trays can simplify maintenance and cleaning of your plants.

Pot Caddy

If your gardener has large potted plants that they like to move, a plant caddy is the perfect gift. This is a platform on wheels that is designed to hold a heavy weight, up to 500 pounds. Some gardeners have plants that reside on their patio during warm weather months, but need to be brought indoors during the winter. Maybe the large plant stays indoors, but needs to be moved for cleaning purposes or light requirements of the plant. In either case, the plant caddy is an invaluable tool and potentially will prevent back injury.

Vertical Planters

These towers are very popular for indoor or outdoor use. These are free-standing towers that have planting pockets circling a center core. These come in different heights, depending on how many rows you want. Some of the ways they are used are to plant salad greens in each pocket or a strawberry plant in each pocket. Some people use them exclusively for flowers, while others grow houseplants in each pocket. Watering is done by pouring water into the center core, which is designed to give each pocket its share of the water. It couldn’t be easier and is especially great for the person with limited space and light access. They make a great gift for gardeners with only apartment balconies to grow on.

Decorative Pots

There isn’t an indoor gardener alive who won’t love a beautiful pot for their plants. There are so many unique “one of a kind” containers available. Don’t worry about the size of the container. If the gardener who receives the gift doesn’t have a plant to move into your gift container, it will give them the excuse to purchase a new plant to add to their collection.

Holiday Gift Plants

These are plants that are available during specific holidays and make a great gift for the indoor gardener and are perfect as a hostess gift. Amaryllis plants are available at Christmas time as single showstopper bulbs or in collections of several bulbs grown together. The stunningly huge flowerhead is something to see. Poinsettias now come in a wide range of colors. If you want to stay with more traditional colors, look for poinsettias with red petals striped or dotted with white. Each one is unique. At Easter season, azaleas are available, as well as flowering bulbs in pots for an early taste of spring.

Sprouts

Growing edible sprouts is easy and will give the indoor gardener a fresh vegetable for their salads. There are kits available for purchase with everything needed to successfully grow sprouts.

Books

There are all sorts of books for gardeners available. Some are just for enjoying pictures of beautiful gardens, while others are great reference books on topics like care of roses, pruning trees and shrubs or common insect pests. These are a great gift, especially in the winter when even indoor gardens slow down.

Cuttings and Divisions

If you are a gardener yourself, a personal gift of a plant you have grown yourself can be very meaningful. It can be as simple as rooting a Spider Plant shoot or dividing a Peace Lily. Some plants have been passed down from one generation to another.

This is a great time to think about purchasing garden-related gifts. Indoor gardening is gaining popularity as more people are working from home. Living plants help clean the air and it boosts the spirits to have beautiful greenery in the environment.