Top Gardening Gifts
Looking for gift ideas for the avid gardener in your life? Go beyond stepping stones with these books, pottery, tools and more they’ll love.Finding a thoughtful gift for a loved one can be a challenge, but we’re here to help! Here are our favorite gardening gifts—curated by the Garden Design editors.
Crocs
Garden Boots
Waterproof boots that are easy to slip on and off are invaluable for gardeners. These Crocs come in 6 colors, including classic Navy (shown) and bright Lemon.
Gardener's Supply Company
Sunshelf
This would make a great gift for anyone who wants more greenery indoors but doesn’t have the right light for it. Since we love multiuse pieces, we appreciate that this plant shelf also doubles as a side table.
Proven Winners
20 oz Tumbler
Gardening can be hard work. This tumbler lets the gardener on your list take a cold (or hot) drink with them throughout the yard. Made by YETI®, it holds 20 oz., eliminating trips back and forth for refills.
Hen-Feathers
Three Gift Trakes
A unique tool that is perfect for beginning to expert gardeners. The Trake has an ergonomic handle with patented wrist leverage feature. Its dual-purpose use — one side is a trowel, the other a rake — makes it a go-to tool and wonderful addition to any gardener’s tool shed or potting bench.
Esschert Designs
Fire Bowl
Give your friend or family member the gift of extending the time they get to spend outdoors in the evening by giving them this attractive rusted-steel fire bowl.
The Sill
DIY Succulent Terrarium Kit
This kit from The Sill features everything needed to create a miniature desertscape. Simply pour the cacti mix into the glass bowl, arrange the assorted succulents and top dress with lava rocks and sand.
Wild Green Fingers
Hanging Planter
This round hanging planter makes a stylish vessel for a combination of succulents, air plants, or other small plants. It’s made of galvanized steel and is 12 inches wide and 4 inches deep.
$30 from Amazon (plants not included)
GrowOya
Watering Vessel
The ideal set-it-and-forget-it gift! This GrowOya Vessel can water a 3- by 3-foot garden space and holds 3 liters of water. With this vessel, watering happens underground—that means roots are encouraged to grow deep.
Dan Bernarcik
Garden Chair
For nearly 20 years, Dan Benarcik has been building and refining the design of this garden chair. It’s made of red cedar and/or Douglas fir, so it can withstand the outdoors.
Niteangel
Insect House
This home for insects would be a wonderful gift for those who love to observe the little creatures that keep our world going.
Planters' Choice
Bonsai Growing Kit
Encourage mindfulness by giving this Bonsai Starter Kit. It comes with everything needed to grow four Bonsai trees from seed—Pinus aristata, Delonix regia, Jacaranda mimosifolia, and Picea Abies.
GoldenSupplyCo
Custom Shirt
We think this simple shirt would make a clever gift for an avid gardener. It’s 100% cotton and available in 7 colors, including Heather Forest (shown).
KMCraftsShop
Birdhouse
Not just “for the birds,” this rustic handmade birdhouse would make a wonderful aesthetic addition to any garden. It’s made of reclaimed wood and can house three birds.
Todd Holloway
Stylish Vertical Planters
Leo Wall Planters, made from aluminum (shown) or corten steel, are great for vertical gardening and are designed to direct water away from the surface they’re mounted on. From top to bottom: Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Foxtail’, Lavendula stoechas, and Mentha spicata var. crispa ‘Moroccan’. Designed by Todd Holloway of Pot Incorporated.
Tyson M. Weiss
Fish Garden Art
Maine artist Tyson M. Weiss makes these unique ceramic fish sculptures that appear to lazily cruise through pristine plantings. A school of three is ideal for conveying the impression of movement. They can stay outdoors all year and come with garden rods. The Medium Salsa Fishie is shown, but there are a variety of koi and trout in many colors.
Seibert & Rice
Seibert & Rice Shell Pot
Crafted in one of the oldest terra cotta workshops in Italy, this pot is equally stunning empty or planted. Seibert & Rice, a company specializing in fine Italian terra cotta, makes planters like this available in the U.S. The Shell Pot is part of their Ornamental Collection, which features pieces distinguished by their sculptural detail.
Terrain
Plant Mister
Many plants need a little spritz of water every day, and this pretty little plant mister can not only do the job—it’s also lovely to look at.
Proven Winners
Socks
Gardeners are on their feet a lot, so why not make a fashion statement? These fun socks will be the talk of the community garden and brighten any gardener’s day.
SunPrint
Sunprint Kit
Sunprinting is a simple way to capture the beauty of forms in nature. Easy to use, this sunprint kit makes a fun gift for people of all ages.
La Chatelaine
Hand Cream Gift Set
For gardeners who spend lots of time with their hands in the dirt, this La Chatelaine lotion set makes a delightful gift. The set includes 12 different 1oz bottles: Lemon Verbena, Gardenia, Pear, Coconut Milk, Shea, Sweet Almond, Rose Acacia, Orange Blossom, Lavender, Passion Fruit, Lychee Bilberry, and Wild Fig.
Terrain
Cotton Crusher Hat
Help protect the skin of the gardener you love by giving them this lightweight and breathable hat. A hidden drawstring assures a comfortable fit and the hat can be easily packed. Available in five colors from Terrain.
100% Pure
Lavender Body Cream
Gardening is tough on skin. Help your friend or loved one nourish, soften and hydrate theirs with this luxurious body cream from 100% Pure. They'll love the delicious, calming scent and that it’s free of anything artificial, synthetic or toxic.
NiftyNarwhalTM
Plant Marker
This garden marker would make a fun gift for a gardener with a good sense of humor. The marker was repurposed from a vintage silver-plated spoon and was handmade in Omaha, NE.
Timber Press
Gardening Under Lights: The Complete Guide for Indoor Growers
Gardeners continue to find creative ways to bring green indoors, as exemplified by Leslie Halleck’s book Gardening Under Lights. Halleck fully equips readers with the information necessary to grow a variety of plants indoors. Not only does she cover the critical aspects of growing—lighting, pests, care, and more—readers will be pleased to find that Halleck also has a passion for making sure it all looks fantastic, too: “Growing plants and food indoors doesn’t have to be utilitarian; it can be a beautiful practice that blends into our living space and lifestyles,” she notes.
Cool Springs Press
Starting & Saving Seeds: Grow the Perfect Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and Flowers for Your Garden
Whether you’re just getting into gardening or you’re a gardening pro, Starting & Saving Seeds will guide you through the process of saving your own seeds and helping them flourish into strong, healthy, happy plants.
Timber Press
Gardenlust: A Botanical Tour of the World’s Best New Gardens
Get inspired by Gardenlust, a book that showcases 50 beautiful modern gardens around the world. Guiding readers through each garden is the author—plant guru, and renowned garden designer Christopher Woods whose background makes him the ideal garden guide: former director and chief designer at Chanticleer, vice president for horticulture at the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, director of the Van Dusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, executive director of the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden, and director of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Meadowbrook Farm. One reader gushes that “it could be awarded 5 stars just for the photography alone.”
Timber Press
The History of Landscape Design in 100 Gardens
Learn how the gardens of the past have influenced garden design today by exploring 100 of the most influential gardens in the world. Lecturer, teacher, and gardener Linda A. Chisholm, who teaches the history of landscape design at the New York Botanical Garden takes readers on this enchanting tour.
Timber Press
Among Trees: A Guided Journal for Forest Bathing
It’s no secret that immersing one’s self in nature has remarkable effects on mind and body. The purpose of this journal is to give you a way to record your trips into wild spaces, providing prompts that will help enhance your experience.
Timber Press
Peony: The Best Varieties for Your Garden
Are you interested in growing your own peonies but don’t know where to start? Learn from peony experts David C. Michener and Carol A. Adelman. In addition to providing the basics about peonies (the history, the types available, etc.), they share growing information for 194 of the best varieties.
Vremi
Tool Set
If you know someone who is looking to get into gardening (or if you know someone who you want to get into gardening!), this is a nice starter kit. It comes with 9 pieces: trowel shovel, rake hoe, weeder, spade, cultivator, pruning shears, spray bottle, and gloves—all in a handy storage caddy. All tools are rust resistant.
Corona Tools
Forged Dual Cut Bypass Pruner
Corona Tools is known for making sturdy, functional tools that serve gardeners well. This pruner has a second curve within the hook of the blade that allows you to easily cut branches up to 2 inches in diameter. It also has an internal spring, so it shouldn’t get bumped loose as you’re reaching inside a tangled shrub. This is a solid midrange model for the weekend warrior who prunes for short periods of time.
Josh Endres
Okatsune No. 103 Pruners/Secateurs
With no gearing, cushioning, or added leverage from the handle, these no-frills pruners by Niwaki rely on a sharp edge and hard steel to achieve crisp cuts—even on fibrous materials like bamboo. The latch can be slid open or closed on your hip, and the Japanese-style spring doesn’t fall off. In a nod to ergonomics, the blade has a slight angle downward. For those who appreciate simplicity and strong steel, this minimalist model is a satisfying choice.
Bully Tools, Inc.
Perforated Mud Shovel
When working in wet ground, ordinary shovels can get stuck in the muck. That’s where this shovel by Bully Tools sets itself apart. The holes in the blade let it slide free with less sticking and its welded I-beam keeps the handle attachment from cracking under heavy, mucky loads.
Meg Smith
Go-To Tool for Loosening Soil
Peter Jacobsen grows food for The French Laundry, a Michelin 3-star restaurant. The Meadow Creature Broadfork is his go-to tool for loosening soil without destroying its structure. “It works better than a hand rototiller and you get a nice workout,” he says. Under the bar are four 14-inch-long spikes; after driving the spikes into the soil, you use the handles to pull back on the tool, loosening the earth.
Green Heron Tools
HERShovel
The HERShovel was built to make the most of a woman’s stature and strength, but the company has also received positive feedback from men who have used the shovel. Its steel blade with extra-large step and its two-handed grip reduce shoulder and back strain while digging.
A.M. Leonard
Leonard Deluxe Stainless Steel Soil Knife
The tiny, jagged serrations of this American–made soil knife by A.M. Leonard are great not only for weeding but also for finer applications like scoring the roots on annual flowers and opening bags of potting soil. The twine-cutting notch and 6-inch ruler stamped onto the blade are helpful additions. However, though the curved shape of the handle is the epitome of comfort, it also shortens the area where you grasp the knife, making it most suitable for gardeners will smaller hands.
TDI Brands
Serrated Farmer Dagger
With its thick, highly sharpened teeth and nearly unbreakable boron steel blade, this knife by Dewit could be as useful in a dark alley as it is in the garden. It’s incredibly sturdy; a hammer can be used on the flat top of the handle to drive the tip of the knife through hardpan or rocky soil. It can be used right- or left-handed. For gardeners working in hard soil, it’s indispensable.
Fiskars Brands, Inc.
Compact Extendable Pruning Saw
The long pole and heavy head of many pole pruners makes for an awkward balancing act. This pruning saw by Fiskars solves that problem with a pole that collapses to 3 feet. The oval pole extends to 8 feet and is made of steel for added strength and stiffness compared with lighter aluminum tools.
