Holiday Gift Guide: Garden Gifts for Everyone
Our holiday gift guide for all the garden lovers in your life—whether they're beginners, master gardeners or even kids
This garden gift guide has something delightful for everyone on your list.
If there is one thing my friends and family know and love about me, it’s that I don’t take gifting lightly. My mindset is that a good gift should be “next level” with lots of thought and meaning underneath the wrapping. Holidays are over the top in our home and my daughter and I love planning out our gift choices months in advance, which is why I’m including mine in November—for the planners like me. Every year, our “giving list” gets longer and longer, with gifts to teachers, coaches, grandparents, young family members, neighbors, hosts and hostesses of parties, and co-workers. While compiling our list, my 6-year-old had the fun idea to center all of our gifts around our favorite family hobby, gardening! “Everyone loves garden stuff, mom,” she says. “Let’s make it a theme.” I love my little planner and her thought to share our passion with the ones we love. The Garden Gift Challenge is in full swing and I, for one, never shy away from a challenge. So we’ve decided to give only garden gifts to all our favorite people over the holidays to celebrate our green side.
TIP: The key to any good gift is to keep it thoughtful, personal and fun. Creative gift wrapping is the easiest way to add a special touch to any gift. We like using craft paper that you can stamp or wrap with twine and finish with a simple cutting from the yard.
For the Office
Authentic Haven Brand Manure Tea, $12.95 and up: manuretea.com
The key to a winning white-elephant office gift is to be funny, yet useful. Personally, this is my favorite gift to give all year long, because I love watching the surprise and laughter from the crowd when they open my present—and hope they fight over it! Take this recipe for manure tea, for instance. Having horses on our property, I know the advantage that some old-fashioned manure can provide, so this plant “tea” (which conditions the soil so plant roots can better absorb nutrients and is not for human consumption) is a homerun for any gardener, novice or expert.
For the Yard Hero
Auger bit, styles and prices vary: lowes.com
For my husband, the last place you’ll find him is shopping…especially for something new. After all the work we’ve done this year on our property, his tools took quite a beating. So that’s why I head to Google in search of the best tools and product reviews. Which lead me to the perfect gift for any yard hero, the hand auger. This year alone, we’ve put in more than 100 new plants and flowers. That’s a lot of holes to dig. This handy tool attaches to your drill (I prefer using an electric drill for more torque) and drills a fast and deep hole for new plants to take root. These augers can be pricey, but it saves a ton of digging time and sweat, and he loves it. lowes.com
For the Kids
My kids are crafty (just like their mamma) and combining that hobby with anything garden-related lights them up like a Christmas tree. They love making things for the garden, especially when we give friends tours of our plants and veggies and they point out something they created. With some kiddo special touches, suddenly an ordinary garden bed becomes a unique space. Rock garden markers, painting kits and DIY stepping stones make perfect gifts for your little ones. Don’t forget to include children’s gardening coloring books and journals to inspire their creativity and get them thinking green.
For the Neighbors
You can never go wrong with an old-fashioned harvest basket. They are perfect DIY gifts from your table to another. This holiday season, I’m gifting some homemade pomegranate and raspberry jam, freshly baked bread, delicious greens and peppers. Each basket can be as elaborate or as simple as you’d like but the important thing is that it is coming from your home with love.
TIP: I love to visit second-hand stores and find great baskets for less than $5.
Teachers and Coaches
Since preschool, my kids have adored their teachers and now, their coaches too. Each classroom experience or team season is memorable, so I love the idea of personalizing a unique item for their garden. My oldest couldn’t wait to decorate a flower pot with her teacher’s name and the year on it, with a sweet note of appreciation. For a coach, you can paint a garden stepping stone with the team and coach’s name. That way, your coach can always remember the season you hit that walk-off home run or aced your first serve.
For the Hostess
Yule Christmas Tree Seed Growing Kit, : pottingshedcreations.etsy.com
The list of parties we attend during the holiday season is long. The perfect garden host or hostess gift is made with love and something that can be practically incorporated into their home. My favorite kind of gift for this occasion can be planted and enjoyed for years to come. My new go-to hostess gifts are these “growing wish herbs” that send the sweetest sentiments and this festive Yule Christmas Tree Seed Growing Kit. pottingshedcreations.etsy.com
For the Master Gardener
My Garden Box gift subscriptions, prices vary: mygardenbox.com
If you are buying for a veteran or master gardener, consider giving them a little help answering their visitor’s most frequent questions. The next time they are offering a tour of their precious garden space and are asked “What’s this flower?” “What shrub is this?” or “How old is this tree?” these legendary nameplates with plant info and QR code for more details will come in handy: info.plantsmap.com/tags.
Another gift that any master gardener would love is a subscription box like mygardenbox.com.
For the Sentimental Gardener
Birth month flower necklace, $48: uncommongoods.com
The women in my family have always had a thing for flowers. I can’t remember a time when I would visit an aunt or a grandmother when their flower gardens weren’t in full bloom. That’s why I love the idea of gifting a flower necklace that coincides with the recipient’s birth month. It’s personal, attractive and a sweet gesture. Here’s where to order: uncommongoods.com.
For the First-Time Gardener
Hudson Valley Seed Library set of 6, $22.50: thegrommet.com
Take it from me, just thinking about breaking ground on your first garden can be overwhelming, but with a little patience and a lot of persistence, even the blackest thumb has a chance at turning green. That’s why I especially love the idea of a “gifting garden” to those who never considered planting something and watching it grow. An excellent gift idea is to offer some cuttings, bulbs or seedlings that came from your very own garden. Sharing something you love from your home to theirs will make your gift recipient feel really special. If you don’t have the opportunity to propagate or gift from your garden, there are some excellent seed-starting kits and gift baskets perfect for the brand new gardener at thegrommet.com.
For the DIYer
Cottage Urban Beehive, $299: thegrommet.com
Everyone has that one friend that is always busy making stuff. I love gifting to these people because they are so open to trying new things. Every good gardener knows that a garden is nothing without its pollinators, so the idea of contributing to the pollination process is fun and useful for any DIYer. I love the Cottage Urban beehive from thegrommet.com, but there are also some excellent kits on the market that simply attract bees.
For Anyone
Check out the wind chime kit at liftingupspirits.etsy.com. Even hard-to-shop-for people will enjoy its sweet sounds in the winter breeze.
