четверг, 12 ноября 2020 г.

15 of the Best Holiday Gift Ideas for Gardeners

A close up horizontal image of carefully wrapped holiday gifts surrounded by fairy lights and pictured in diffuse light.

Are you feeling stressed about holiday shopping? Not sure what to get for the gardeners on your list?

We’re here to help!

A vertical image of winter holiday decorations set on a snow-covered table pictured on a soft focus background. To the top and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

There are so many potential gift items, both large and small, that green thumbs will appreciate – and we mean it when we say you can actually have fun buying these presents, and maybe even pick out a treat or two for yourself.

You may want to introduce your favorite dirt dauber to something new and beautiful, for example, or give them a gardening gift that’s so darn useful they’ll wonder why they don’t already have one.

A close up horizontal image of Christmas gifts and decorations set on a wooden outdoor table pictured on a soft focus background.

Or maybe you’re trying to choose something they’ll love and use often while staying within a strict budget. There are plenty of less expensive holiday remembrances for gardeners to choose from that are thoughtful mementos nonetheless.

Whatever your needs, and whoever you’re shopping for, Gardener’s Path has done the legwork so you don’t have to.

We’ve gathered 15 of the best holiday gifts for the gardeners in your life, neatly divided into categories that will inspire you.

Here’s what’s ahead:

Decorative Day-Brighteners

Even the most committed growers can’t have their hands in the dirt outdoors 24/7.

These picks help extend the blooming beauty vibe into the house, to be displayed in a sunroom or on a light-filled windowsill.

1. Grand Prix Amaryllis Planting Kit

Oh, the loyal amaryllis! Even in the dark of winter, this kit produces a bright bloom with little effort from its owner.

A close up horizontal image of bright red amaryllis flowers pictured on a soft focus background.

The growers have already chilled the giant bulbs in a way that will “force” them to bloom indoors. Even young gardeners can take it from there, as long as there’s a sunny window available.

In fact, if you’ve always been the black thumb in your houseplant-growing circle, you may want to change your luck by buying a second one of these for yourself.

They smell heavenly, and there’s a good chance the recipient can regrow the bulb next year or possibly plant it in the garden to bloom the following spring.

A close up square image of an amaryllis plant in a small post neatly gift wrapped with a red bow.

Grand Prix Amaryllis Planting Kit

This kit contains a ‘Red Lion’ amaryllis bulb, a six-inch blue ceramic pot, and growing medium, packaged in a burlap bag.

Expect fragrant, striking red blooms on 20- to 24-inch stalks a couple of months after planting.

You can find the Grand Prix Blue Ceramic Amaryllis Planting Kit from Daylily Nursery via Home Depot.

And for even more gorgeous varieties of amaryllis to add to your winter holiday decor, check out our full guide (coming soon!).

2. Hanging Bubble Terrarium

Apartment-dwelling green thumbs and gardeners from cold climates who are already longing for spring will appreciate this whimsical glass terrarium.

A close up vertical image of a hanging glass terrarium planter with air plants growing inside, pictured on a white background.

Hanging Bubble Terrarium

The indoor-use planter is eight inches high and seven inches in diameter. It has a 3.5-inch opening for tiny plants, and a couple of smaller openings to provide ideal ventilation.

The surface comes clean with a quick rub from a water-dampened washcloth. Plants and hardware for hanging are not included.

This product is available from Terrain.

You can read more about creating your own terrarium here – the book recommended in this article makes a lovely companion gift to this planter!

3. Living Picture Succulent Kit

Here’s a potential present for two different groups of gardeners.

First, you may have friends who are part of the emerging Succulent Nation, and they will adore this kit that uses compact succulent cuttings as the basis for a framed work of art.

A close up, top down square image of a succulent planter made of wood with succulent plants and soil to the left of the frame.
The Living Picture Kit base is plain and simple until a succulent garden artist unleashes its potential.

A second group, those who would get a lift from a gardening project that’s perfect for a dreary winter indoors, will be equally appreciative.

A close up vertical image of a wooden planter with various succulent plants set on a wooden surface.
As the compact succulents begin to open, the colors start to change from all green to a few highlighted with red. By Allison Sidhu.

The kit includes a frame, soil, and succulent cuttings.

The info postcard enclosed provides clear directions on how to use the dainty, color contrasting succulent florettes to create a work of art.

A close up vertical image of a succulent planter with a variety of plants set on a wooden surface.
The full-grown art in its frame can be propped up or hung on the wall like a picture.By Allison Sidhu

The tiny varieties in the “palette” will gradually grow and expand to complete the living art.

The filled frame is fairly low-maintenance, and it can hang on the wall, sit on a table, or be propped up for display.

A close up square image of a wooden succulent planter filled with a selection of plants set on a gray surface.

Living Picture Succulent Kit

You can purchase this kit in three sizes: six by six inches, six by 12 inches, and 12 by 12 inches.

Check prices and learn more about the Living Picture Kit at Succulent Gardens.

4. Old Fashioned Berry Basket

These Amish-crafted baskets are simply lovely.

They feature a reinforced plywood bottom and leather loops that allow whoever is doing the harvesting to fasten the basket to a belt and pick fruit or vegetables with both hands.

A close up square image of a wicker fruit basket with strawberries to the right of the frame pictured on a white background.

Old Fashioned Berry Basket

The baskets are 8.75 inches high and weigh about half a pound. Be forewarned, though: the top gardener who receives this under the Christmas tree this year might have to fight the rest of the family to get to use it as a receptacle for berries, cherries, or cherry tomatoes.

It may also be displayed beautifully in a rustic kitchen, or in a craft room to hold knickknacks or yarn.

Find buying information and check current prices at Lehman’s Hardware and Appliance.

5. The Pioneer Woman Floral Ceramic Bakeware Set

Such happy cookware, not to mention that it’s a good value for a very reasonable price! I can’t recommend these flowered ceramic baking pans enough.

Each set of two pieces comes from popular lifestyle blogger and Food Network personality Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman.

Her designs offer an updated take on vintage flowered dishes in vibrant colors, with four different extra-appealing flower motifs to choose from that gardeners will love.

A close up square image of two baking dishes set on a wooden surface.

Ceramic Bakeware Set – Fiona Floral

They’re close enough to cottage flowers that you can recognize the species depicted, from roses to cosmos to my favorites, the “dazzling dahlias” in my personal top pick, Fiona Floral.

Other patterns available in this series include Blossom Jubilee, Rose Shadow, and Spring Bouquet.

A close up of baking dishes set on a wooden surface with a kitchen countertop in the background.

Ceramic Bakeware Set – Blossom Jubilee

Each baker has two handles, decorative edges, and flowers on the interior as well, so there’s something extra to admire even after that last portion of lasagna or holiday breakfast casserole has been gobbled up.

This set includes one 4.4-quart rectangular baker and one that holds 3.3 quarts. Both are dishwasher and microwave safe, and oven safe up to 425ºF.

I can attest they’re ideal for roasting bumper crops of eggplant, butternut squash, cherry tomatoes, or onions. You can rest assured your favorite vegetable gardener will use this gift year-round.

Add this set to your holiday shopping cart now via Walmart.

Ever-So-Practical Presents

It’s so rare these days to be shopping for someone who actually prefers a purely useful gift, but dedicated gardeners often feel that way.

There’s no reason to dread the “practical gift” concept, not with these folks.

A close up horizontal image of small gardening tools set on a wooden surface with a wrapped gift to the right of the frame.

In fact, there are lots of items to choose from that are garden-themed, dead useful, and that can stand up to wear and tear.

We’ve weeded through the options already (nobody likes weeding, we know!). Read on for the top practical Christmas gifts for gardeners:

6. Amish-Made Furrowing Hoe

Basic tools are soul-satisfying for both veterans and those new to the pursuit, and this hoe is lovingly crafted and indispensable.

Made by artisans in the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country, this hickory-handled hoe with its ultra-sharp angular blade makes short work of furrows.

A close up square image of a green and blue furrowing hoe with a wooden handle with soil in the background.

Furrowing Hoe

It’s also handy for working with pinpoint accuracy around tender sprouts and seedlings, ideal for the gardener who doesn’t want to crawl on hands and knees to knock out weeds in early spring.

The handle is 54 inches long, tipped with a high-carbon steel blade forged in Sweden. It weighs about two pounds.

This high-quality tool is available via Lehman’s Hardware and Appliance.

7. Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

If your loved one is an expert at growing bumper crops of fruit or vegetables, this book will be greeted with glee.

It does include its fair share of old-school recipes, and they’re absolutely delicious, from the “golden relish” to the apple-pear-cranberry pie filling.

But this collection, updated in May 2020, also offers up-to-date recipes for salsas, soft spreads, and condiments that will help your favorite small-scale produce farmer preserve the harvest while appealing to 21st-century tastebuds.

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

A few of my favorite recipes from my well-worn copy include bruschetta in a jar, easy-peasy cranberry ketchup, and a knock-your-socks-off hot pepper relish known as Singapore sauce.

Even more importantly, this 448-page tome includes step-by-step details for everything from blanching to making a simple freezer jam to preparing a 14-ingredient, three-day chow chow.

And it covers the basics of revived traditional food preservation methods like fermenting sauerkraut and kimchi as well.

The “Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving” is available in hardcover and paperback from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

8. Can-O-Worms Compost Worm Farm Starter Kit

So, you’ve never given someone a gift that involved worms? There’s a first time for everything!

Hardcore gardeners will appreciate the luxury of being able to “grow” their own earthworms, using household compost and this worm farm.

A close up square image of a plastic worm farm pictured on a white background.

Can-O-Worms Compost Worm Farm Starter Kit

It features ventilated collector trays that help worms do their best work (and best multiplying), and it can hold 15 gallons of worms and compost.

Tumbleweed, the manufacturer, estimates this vermiculture operation recycles seven to nine pounds of organic waste per week once it’s up and running, along with producing earthworms that can be moved to the garden to do their beneficial aerating and soil-building thing.

Maybe this isn’t the most romantic Christmas gift for gardeners, but a certain subsection of people who like to grow veggies and flowers for bouquets will absolutely love it.

A close up square image of a family attending to a worm farm in a black plastic container with a wooden fence in the background.

May I suggest dropping a few hints about wanting to procure this gift before committing to such a daring holiday gift? Just to be safe? Kids will love it too, if an adult is prepared to help.

Find more information about the Can-O-Worms Compost Worm Farm and purchase yours now at Home Depot.

Learn more about home vermiculture in our guide if you’re new to worm composting and interested in getting started.

9. Cedar Plus Bat House

A home for bats? In-the-know green thumbs will appreciate this practical selection.

Bats consume insects like humans eat popcorn, so they’re natural pest eradicators, making the great outdoors more comfortable as they decimate the mosquito population.

A close up horizontal image showing the interior of a bat house set on the lawn, pictured in bright sunshine.
This is how little space is required to contain 50 bats in the Cedar Plus Bat House! Photo by Rose Kennedy.

This particular bat house is made from long-lasting cedar and it will hold up to 50 bats!

At 14 inches tall and 8.25 inches wide, this house has pre-drilled holes and a flat back that make it easy to install.

A close up vertical image of a wooden bat house installed on the side of a dark-colored wooden home.
Photo by Rose Kennedy.

Basically, it’s a matter of, “if you hang it, they will come.”

Make sure the recipient will have a suitable place to install this treasure. It needs to be placed in a location 10 to 12 feet off the ground, with morning sun to keep the bats warm.

A close up vertical image of a wooden bat house with a silhouette pictured on the front, pictured on a white background.

Cedar Plus Bat House

For more details and to purchase the Cedar Plus Bat House, head to Tractor Supply.

10. Dickies Women’s Double Front Duck Bib Overalls

Old-time farmers wore overalls because they were rugged, flexible, and easy to wash. Your favorite modern-day gardener would appreciate a pair for all the same reasons.

These overalls, available in black or brown, are made from 98 percent cotton and two percent spandex, so they stretch and move without being itchy or clingy.

A close up vertical image of a woman wearing brown overalls over a black shirt.

Women’s Double Front Duck Bib Overalls

And if the women in your life have been mourning this lack in their ordinary clothing, drum roll please… these overalls have nine pockets!

Imagine all the gardening essentials that can be carried in there!

They’re also layering-friendly, just as comfortable with a turtleneck and sweater worn beneath as they are worn over a tank top and sunscreen.

A close up vertical image of a woman wearing brown overalls over a black shirt, pictured from the back.

Dickies Double Front Overalls – Back View

They’ll take your gardener from filling bird feeders in the dead of winter to picking beans, beans, and more beans in the hottest summer months.

Available sizes range from women’s XS to 2XL. Double front panels even include openings for knee pads (not included).

Check out more details and the price at Tractor Supply.

11. Excalibur Nine-Tray Dehydrator

For the gardener who is also inclined to stock up on shelf stable items picked from the garden, a dehydrator is a dreamy kitchen tool to have at the ready.

Some of the items it will produce are strictly gourmet, like chewy and sweet sun-dried tomatoes, or crispy apple and pear slices. But this gift is also practical.

Excalibur Nine-Tray Dehydrator

Gardeners who grow their own food can use it to dehydrate enough mainstay vegetables and herbs (think onions, celery, carrots, chilies, basil, thyme, and other flavorful herbs, spices, and aromatics) for gallon upon gallon of soup mix for camping, storing in the emergency food kit, or donating to food banks for the less fortunate.

For any food preservation endeavors, this model is a beaut. It holds 15 square feet of drying fruits and veg in nine trays, and includes an adjustable thermostat and 26-hour timer.

Maybe most importantly, as everyone’s rushed to stock up in 2020, many shortages have occurred in the food preservation world – but this dehydrator requires no extra accessories for use, and it’s ready to go.

For more details and pricing, check out the Excalibur Dehydrator now on Amazon.

Thoughtful Gestures

Whether given in a stocking, as part of an office gift exchange, or as a hostess gift, these small presents are both thoughtful and easy on the budget.

A close up horizontal image of two wrapped gifts set on dried colorful flowers.

If your family has a tradition of giving smaller gifts daily for Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, they’re great choices there, too.

12. Arbor Day Heritage Coffee

Most every gardener wants all the plants but quickly runs out of space to grow them, or they simply don’t live in the right climate.

That’s part of the reason this coffee is one of the best gifts for gardeners.

The Arbor Day Heritage Coffee Series promotes sustainable farming, but it’s not a plant or gardening tool.

The recipient can enjoy this delicious coffee, maybe at a holiday brunch, and savor the experience without a long-term commitment.

A close up horizontal image of a bag of Heritage coffee with beans scattered in front, set on a white surface.

Arbor Day Heritage Coffee

It’s a real treat for artisan coffee aficionados, too. Each small batch is produced by organic farmers who are committed to being stewards of the land, and the taste reflects that mission.

I got to sample part of small batch No. 1, a micro-lot grown at 1,700 meters on a two-acre farm in the rain forest community of Carrizal in Honduras.

I found it bright and bracing, with just a slight overtone of tropical fruit. Part of the pleasure was knowing how rare this particular coffee was.

The bags of whole beans weigh 12 ounces, and are produced in limited quantities just one time. The Arbor Day Foundation also plants a tree for each bag sold.

Learn more and order yours now from the Arbor Day Foundation Store.

13. Hint of Citrus Bottle Garden Kit

If your “nice list” includes people who are already into the trend of regrowing vegetable scraps in the kitchen, this sweet little kitchen window kit could be a perfect fit for a stocking.

The nifty, eco-friendly project entails growing citrusy herb seeds in your own upcycled bottles.

A close up horizontal image of three bottles growing herbs pictured on a white background.

Hint of Citrus Bottle Garden Kit

Seeds for lemon balm and lemon and lime basil are provided, along with smart soil inserts that absorb water and pull it up to the roots as they grow down each bottle’s neck.

After setup, it takes about two weeks for sprouts to appear. Herbs are ready to harvest within two to three months.

A close up square image of the Hint of Citrus indoor growing kit showing a bottle with lemon balm set against a brick wall.

Whoever receives this gift will need a nice sunny window or grow light, though, so make sure that will be available.

Lemon balm requires at least part sun to thrive, and citrus basils need a full six hours of direct sun daily.

Find the Hint of Citrus Bottle Garden Kit available for purchase now at Urban Leaf.

14. Sunflower Seed Mix

It’s a big responsibility, and bonding exercise, to choose flower seeds for a loved one! This gift will let the recipient know you understand their love of plant life, and appreciate their sunny personality as well.

The beauty of this purchase is threefold:

First, the mix has been chosen to provide season-long blooms, with different varieties – including  ‘Autumn Beauty,’ ‘Lemon Queen,’ ‘Mammoth,’ ‘Sungold,’ ‘Sunspot,’‘Teddy Bear,’ and ‘Velvet Queen’ – that start blooming between 90 and 110 days from direct sowing.

A close up of a variety of different sunflowers pictured against a blue sky background. To the bottom right of the frame is a white circular logo with text.

Sunflower Seed Mix

Second, the included cultivars grow anywhere from two feet to 12 feet tall, so a gardener can plant a few in a small patch of earth next to a wall or fence, fill a whole raised bed garden, or create focal points in a container or two.

And third, whether you purchase a four-ounce packet or go big with a one- or five-pound mix, there will be plenty to share, as gardeners love to do – so the gift will keep on giving!

All Sorts sunflower mix seeds are available at True Leaf Market.

And check out our guide to growing sunflowers to learn more.

15. “I Wet My Plants” Pullover Hoodie

Welcome a rookie with a well-placed pun, the lowest (and most popular) form of garden humor. This shirt joyously announces, “Spring is here. I’m so excited I wet my plants.” Ha!

And, if it’s a little chilly when spring kicks off, this 80 percent cotton, 20 percent polyester top offers a bit of warmth along with a few chuckles.

“I Wet My Plants” Pullover Hoodie

The hoodie is available in assorted colors including black, heather, navy, and royal blue, and in unisex sizes small through 2XL. It can be machine washed with similar-color clothing and dried on low heat.

Find prices and select your size from National Gardening Day via Amazon.

Ring in the Holidays with the Top Gifts for Green Thumbs

From beautiful blooms and plants to hoes and flowered dishes, it’s such fun to buy for gardeners that you may forget the whole concept that shopping for gifts leads to holiday stress.

A close up horizontal image of carefully wrapped holiday gifts surrounded by fairy lights and pictured in diffuse light.

But remember yourself in all this. Are any of these thoughtful selections something you’d really like, too?

Go on, treat yourself! Or at least place this list where someone you exchange gifts with might see it and get some wonderful gift ideas…

And while you’re thinking about holiday shopping for the deserving gardeners in your life, give these other articles a look.

They’ll help you to get more ideas, and may inspire you to start planning your own garden:

© Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photos via Arbor Day Foundation Store, Daylily Nursery, Dickies, Excalibur, National Gardening Day, Pioneer Woman, Robert Rose Publishers, S&K, Terrain, Succulent Gardens,True Leaf Market, Tumbleweed, and Urban Leaf. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. With additional writing and editing by Allison Sidhu. Samples of select items were provided for testing via the seller or manufacturer.

The post 15 of the Best Holiday Gift Ideas for Gardeners appeared first on Gardener's Path.

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