What are the most useful practical gifts for gardeners? Choose innovative and interesting gardening gifts to suit the personalities and gardens of friends and relatives with a green thumb.
Choosing the perfect gift for plant lovers for your indoor garden or outside from amongst garden tools, indoor herb gardens, wind chimes, plastic meerkats, and decorative wellies found in most garden centres nowadays can be daunting. A shift towards lifestyle and houseware goods means that the practical, perfect gardening gift and down-to-earth gardening stuff are harder to find or have been re-branded. Diligence can pay off, though, and there are many useful excellent gift items to choose from for people who prefer functional items.
Many of the things here fall into the category ‘things you didn’t know you needed but now can’t live without.’… however, it can be a very thoughtful gift.
Money-Saving Gardening Ideas for passionate gardeners
For the frugal grower
Water butt or barrel
All shapes and sizes are available for your own favourite gardener, from terracotta beehives to mock cast iron, sleek contemporary containers or standard barrels. It can be difficult to wrap… it can be found in most gift guide brochures.
Compost bin/bucket to assist organic gardeners/community gardens
Making compost is economical, and any family member can join in turning waste in your own garden into sweet-smelling black gold; it is not hard work. The holy grail of gardening…is finding a decent small kitchen waste bucket. A great choice of container will need to have a lid that can’t be blown away or knocked off by mice or rats, pets, etc., and be a convenient size for the gardening task of taking to the compost heap.
Food waste can be placed in small containers situated on the kitchen counter and made of earthenware but is usually found to be too small. The good idea is to add a lining to the container, too, or the juices will seep and potentially stain unless placed on a stainless steel surface. When the perfect receptacle has been found, buying at least two would be a great idea!
Gardening Gadgets
Rain Gauge
Great gift option for all garden lovers and gardening journey for new gardeners for flower beds in warm weather.
Seeds
This is an easy one, but it won’t fail. Find out what your friend likes growing and get them something new or a refill of their favourite seeds. You can find all sorts of seeds for sale online, from fruits and vegetables to decorative plants; there’s everything, even if you’re looking for cannabis seeds.
Presents for the geeky gardener
Maximum and minimum thermometer – Hours of fun. If you have a greenhouse or grow anything tender from seed kits, it’s a great way to know how low the temperatures drop when establishing new plants. Weather forecasts usually give an average temperature, but a gardener needs to know the minimum – a lot of time, this is what will kill off those precious plants.
Wormery
Biology is in action. Food scraps are in, and the soil is out. Magic, organic remedies for the natural world, gardening needs, or community gardens.
Head torch/flashlight
It is one of the most useful garden gifts ever invented for a small or large garden…Hunt slugs and snails at night, empty the compost bin without falling into it, search out things in the shed and pick herbs for those romantic evenings without poisoning the guest. Keep it handy, but don’t forget you’re wearing it as you blind all and sundry.
Cool gardening gifts of anything solar-powered – one of the best gardening gift ideas ever! Not only are they creative gifts, but they also last a long time and provide endless light for special occasions.
Gardening Aids
For the comfortable horticulturalists and master gardeners, it is the favourite place.
Kneeling Pad
These come as simple foam pads, but the ultimate gift would be the seat/kneeler combo for those well-earned tea breaks after a long weeding session. Many garden kneeler units also store flower seeds, aprons and garden shears.
Gloves
Some lovely gloves are out there, fleecy lined with tough but flexible rubber. Choose waterproof garden gloves and thornproof or a selection for different tasks in your vegetable garden. These also make a great gardening gift for any smart garden or beginner gardener.
Extendable Loppers, Long Handled Essential tool
These are incredibly useful for anyone who has difficulty bending or reaching. The long handle on the loppers gives extra leverage, too, making cutting tough branches easier.
Wildlife-Friendly Gardening Gifts
This a great gift idea for green organic gardeners and feathered friends alike.
Bee houses: Many bees are solitary and emerge from holes to forage for nectar. Help bumble bees by giving them a unique gift and safe haven.
Bat or birdhouses
Bats need a variety of roosts and are fascinating to watch as they hunt insects at dusk. Practical gardening gifts of bird boxes come in all shapes and sizes; some even have wireless cameras built-in.
Bird feeders
All sizes, styles, and species are catered to.
Birdbath
Attractive and good for wildlife, birdbaths are a great addition and give a water source for garden birds; they are invaluable during the summer (if there is one).
Wildflower mat
Jute matting that is impregnated with seed – roll it out where the flowers bloom, and a mini-meadow will grow.
Squirrel baffles
Confound those grey squirrels with ingenious devices to prevent them from stealing food from bird feeders.
If none of these ideas suits that certain someone, don’t forget that plants, hand tools and gift certificates make perfect presents, too. Happy hunting!
