Six Creative Gifts for Gardeners

by Ken Greene

Six Inspired Gifts Ideas

Is there a gardener in your life you'd like to give something to for the holidays? A favorite teacher, good friend, relative, husband, wife, employee or coworker? Sometimes, even if you know they like to garden, it can be hard to know exactly what to get them. When I'm giving gifts to gardeners, or secretly hoping for a gift, here's how I think about it.

gifts for gardeners lend a hand-01

1. Give the Gift of Time
There's always more to do in the garden then there's time for. Giving the gift of your time to lend a hand is always a welcome gift.

Ideas:

  • Use one of our Seedy Greeting Cards to write a note offering to lend a hand next garden season.
  • Organize a work party for a friend at the beginning of the garden season.
  • Give a calendar and write a note letting the recipient know they can choose a date with you to mark on the calendar for a garden help day.

gifts for gardeners beauty-01

2. Give the Gift of Beauty
During the winter, gardeners are starved for the kind of color and beauty they get from their gardens. With these beautiful gifts you'll inspire hope and help curb their garden cravings on the spot; filling their hearts and imaginations with the beauty of gardening.

Ideas:

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3. Give the Gift of Photography
Gardeners love to revisit photos of their garden during the non-garden months. Photos are proof that we'll be able to garden once again!

Ideas:

Book Review: I have all of Amy Goldman's heirloom books including Melons for the Passionate Grower, The Compleat Squash, and The Heirloom Tomato. This book is a necessary addition, or great start, to the collection. One of the things I love about this book, in addition to Jerry Spagnoli's exquisite silvery daguerreotypes of heirloom fruits, vegetables and garden landscapes, is Amy's recounting of her personal relationship to her garden- a 25 year collaboration, 15 years of which were photographed by Spagnoli. A must-have for any heirloom gardener.

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4. Give the Gift of Words
What do gardeners love to do in the winter? Curl up with a good book about gardening of course!
Ideas:

Book Review: Of all the how-to, memoir, or metaphorically oriented books about gardening, this one speaks to me the most. The way Margaret frames gardening in the context of our lives- from childhood through to old age- is both poetic and deeply reassuring. She helps us see our struggles, triumphs, set-backs, relationships, and seasons of our lives through our gardens- one of the most naturally resilient and creative places we cultivate.

Book Review: Although there are a few great new books on seed saving that are very thorough, I like the way Seed to Seed is organized for quick reference. No need to wade through to quickly find the info you're looking for. This book may soon be out of print, so pick up a copy of the ones we have left.

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5. Give the Gift of Good Eating
Many gardeners garden because they love flavorful, fresh food.

Ideas:

  • We've put together some delicious Gift Baskets this year. Check out our many options including Edible Landscapes and our ever-popular Make Your Own Gift Basket where you can pick and choose what varieties to include.
  • If you're looking for a unique cookbook, one of our favorite cookbooks satisfies the gift of beauty and words. Foraging and Feasting by herbalist and forager Dina Falconi and illustrated by botanical artist Wendy Hollender is a delicious feast for the eyes and the pallet.

gifts for gardeners seeds-01

6. Give the Gift of Seeds
Seeds are the most hopeful gift you can give a gardener! But sometimes it's hard to know exactly what to give a gardener- especially if you don't know what they like to grow. So what to give?
Ideas: