Christmas Gifts for Gardeners

Christmas Gifts for Gardeners

Christmas gifts for gardeners are easy to find and very appreciated, but you don’t have to spend a fortune or look in exotic catalogs for good ideas.

The best place to look for gifts for gardeners is your local hardware or garden nursery store.  This isn’t the high season for planting outside so you might not find likely items front and center, but they’re still there.

In fact start in the back of the store in the clearance department.  You might find some excellent buys at steeply discounted prices, and that’s even cooler!

If you can’t find gardening supplies, ask!  They’re still there somewhere and again you might be able to score some serious bargains.

Serious gardeners don’t need glitzy gadgets or other novel do dads, but if they’re like me they probably need and would probably appreciate some more basic choices.

If I was Christmas shopping for gardeners, I would look for a heavy- duty trowel, good garden gloves with rubber palms, plant ties, labels, seed starting pots, or perhaps even potting soils and fertilizers.

High quality tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruners and scissors would also be good Christmas gifts for gardeners. (I lost three pairs of garden scissors this year- how could that happen?)  I also wore holes into two pairs of gloves and broke the handle off one trowel and the tip off another one.  Hey, maybe I should have my family read this article!  They could use some ideas for Christmas gifts for the gardener in their family!!!

Is your gardener a reader?  Bookstores usually have large sections devoted to gardening books, but this is where it gets a little tricky.  Which one do you choose?

You know the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words?”  This especially applies to gardening books. Books with lots of excellent photographs are an almost sure bet, and if the pictures are described in thorough detail, even better!

If you know that your gardener is planning on tackling a new project or has been heard to mention something that annoys her about her garden a book on the topic would be appreciated, and if she happens to be moving to a new region a book about that gardening environment would be awesome.

Gardeners are usually practical people so try to think of some practical gifts. Gardening soap or thick, rich, hand creams are an idea (especially if your gardener forgets to wear her gloves…hmmm I might know her!)

I get a lot of catalogs from garden supply stores, and I love looking at them.  There are products out there to address every possible problem a gardener might have.  If you know something about your gardener’s situation you might be able to find something that would be a great addition to her garden.

If your budget is a little bigger, a water barrel, or a compost box might be a good idea.  Garden statuary, a fountain, or birdbath, are also possibilities.

Some other Christmas gifts for gardeners could possibly include houseplants.  Perhaps they would like a project to keep their green thumb brown.  Something new to nurture might be just the ticket. 

Some cute little pots and a few packages of herb seeds would make a nice windowsill garden and be fun to have in the winter.  Then include a cookbook about cooking with herbs to make your gift complete.

Forcing spring bulbs or making a terrarium are also projects that gardeners might enjoy.  Buy the supplies and let your gardener put it together.

Winter is when many gardeners plan their new garden so how about a garden journal, or a gift certificate to a reputable flower nursery or catalog so they won’t feel so guilty about wanting everything in the spring catalogs. (Ha! That wouldn’t be me, would it?)

A magazine subscription is another ideal Christmas gift for a gardener.  Most regions have a garden magazine that focuses on local plants and highlight some of the newest and best varieties for the area.  They are a pleasure to look at and would be a welcome gift.

Some gifts don’t require money at all.  The most thoughtful gifts aren’t always the most expensive. Would your gardener appreciate a little help once in awhile?  You could make a coupon booklet and fill it with coupons for minutes weeding, or pruning, or rototilling, or whatever is needed.

Christmas gifts for gardeners could be big gifts, too. Perhaps a group gift for a new tree or retaining wall might be in order.

If you have a gardener in your family, put your gardening hat on and get thinking.  I bet you’ll come up with some ideas for Christmas gifts that are both unexpected and very appreciated, and I hope I’ve given you a few ideas that might help you give the best gifts ever this year.

Oh and here’s once last thought:  Bookmark my blog for your gardener…and me too!  (We have time to read and write during the winter!)