Yep, it’s that time of year. I’ve already had multiple people ask me for gift ideas for myself, others, and that special gardener in their life. Gift giving can be such a fun way to let someone know you’ve been thinking of them and they mean a lot to you, but no one likes to take home a haul of oddly scented candles and the latest monogrammed item. Trust me, the gardener in your life is probably more practical than that. And let me tell you, gardening is a hobby (or a job) where we need a few tools. That’s right, anything from pruners to a draft horse to get the job done.
I love the buy local movement, and in no way want to undermine that by providing Amazon links. Wherever you can, I encourage you to make purchases at your locally owned garden store. I’m also a proponent of handmade gifts, but some of these, you can’t quite whip up over the latest episode of Call the Midwife.
A Harvest Basket
There are so many beautiful, even handmade baskets of every shape, size and type. Basket weaving is definitely an art.
Heat Mat
Heat mats are a fabulous tool for starting seeds indoors in early Spring (and nicely repurposed for rising bread dough or culturing yogurt). Many seeds need warm soil for germination. Add a humidity dome (next) for a complete set-up if your gift receiver is new to seed starting!
Starting one’s own seeds is fun (especially during that frozen February) and you’ll have the healthiest transplants. A setup like this, with a florescent light will be the most essential pieces.
There’s a reason these dandy snippers were at your great-grandpa’s hip and you’ll find them in any dedicated gardeners tool box today. Necessary for pruning your tomatoes, useful for cutting back unwieldy vines, these are a such a frequent go-to that even after scoring a second pair, I am always looking for them!
Similar to the pruners, but upping the anty with more power, these will slice through tough branches and even thick stalks of brussels sprouts. These are my go-to choice for cutting plants at the base for a no-till gardening method.
I cannot tell you how silly I feel for having waited so long to buy a pair of these. For years, I have been poked by super sharp blackberry thorns, but not any more! I honestly didn’t believe they could withstand the thorns, but that goatskin is thick and I was wrong. This is a must-own for anyone who has blackberries, roses or any other massively thorny plant!
Nothing kills a gardeners enthusiasm more than back or knee pain. Here’s a little extra support for that determined gardener who simply can’t sit by on the couch when life is bursting in the garden.
Ok, one more cutting tool because really, this saw is amazing. Hold onto your hammock; this saw makes cutting branches waaaaay too fun.
Pots for plants are a perfect gift for anyone, really. Spruce up the office or the bathroom by bringing some green in. I’ve linked to an example on Amazon, but perhaps there is a local potter you can support with this purchase.
Good for more than just weighing a big pumpkin, a scale like this one is a handy thing to keep right outside the garden. Weighing harvest is very exciting, and even moreso when you add it all up at the end of the gardening season – 100 lbs of tomatoes! Yippee!
Stirrup hoe
This is not your ordinary hoe. The blades on here are sharp and easily slice through the root of those pesky weeds. Makes weeding a joy!
Broadfork
Opt for the broad fork instead of a rototiller for better soil health. You can order this tool on Amazon, but find some real blacksmithed beauties and more information here.
Gift card
Gift cards to their local garden store or nursery, or a catalogue such as One Green World aren’t necessarily an obvious choice. I’ve actually never received a gift card to such a place, but if I did, I would use it all up before that mustard seed could sprout!
Magazines and Books
For every interest, there are quite a view books to fit the bill, but not every hobby can claim Mother Earth News Magazine – so worth the $12 price tag!. This magazine will appeal to the new gardener up through the experienced farmer ready to retire in a passive solar home built by hand.
Happy gift giving!
Book: “50 Ways to Kill a Slug” by Sarah Ford, published by hamlyn, with adorable cartoon illustrations. Hilarious and many helpful ideas! Perhaps slugs are not the bane of your existence in Minneapolis, but your readers in the Pacific Northwest will LOVE this book. (And for the tender-hearted gardener…not ALL 50 ways involve actually killing.)
Thanks for your wonderful blog!
Thank you very much! This gift guide could use a dose of humor. I’ll be checking this out!