Garden Gift Ideas for Holiday Giving

Posted by Christine Eirschele Nov 11, 2008

Here are holiday gift ideas for gardeners on your shopping list. Garden books are great holiday gifts for people who make plants and soil part of their everyday lives. On my list, I have free or low cost, sometimes used gifts. I highly recommend giving these ideas a second thought.

New Garden Books

My favorite all time new garden book is Planthropology: The Myths, Mysteries and Miracles of My Garden Favorites by Ken Druse. This is truly a plant book any gardener, new or seasoned, will appreciate. It has many big photographs and an excellent index to navigate your way around the book. Putting it down after reading it for the millionth time was my challenge.

Another plant book is Seed to Elegance: Kentia Palms of Norfolk Island South Pacific by Kevin Williams. This book is about the history of one plant and how it became a popular houseplant. Indoor gardeners will love this small soft-covered book. Purchasing a palm to go with this book will make a thoughtful holiday garden gift.

One of my first plants was a coleus. Today, I would recommend coleus for any new gardener. Of course, once we are hooked, gardeners are immersed into the plant collector’s world. That makes Coleus: Rainbow Foliage for Containers and Gardens by Ray Rogers a good choice for any gardener.

I think many excellent garden books are found in used bookstores. Unless the information is outdated or never was any good, used books are as valuable to me as any with a shiny new cover. So please, consider these ideas.

Container Gardeners

In gardening, my heart still belongs to the urban gardener who carves out a place to grow plants. As an advocate for container gardening, I encourage someone looking for a book for a new gardener to consider one by Rebecca Cole.

My favorite garden author is Rebecca Cole because I love her philosophy about small space gardening. First out in 1997, Potted Gardens helped confirm that I was not the only one on the planet who saw possibilities for gardeners in the city. Finding this book may take a while, but it is worth the search.

Cozy Mysteries for Gardeners

There are many mystery sleuths in the book world. One of my favorite authors has been Ann Ripley. Besides an interesting amateur detective/TV garden show host character, the author includes real life garden information in the back of each book. They are fun to read and a low cost choice since most come in paperback. I have found Ann Ripley books on Amazon.com or at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

Amaryllis Plants

Amaryllis is a great alternative to the poinsettia for holiday plants. Amaryllis are easy to grow and can be regrown outside in summer.

Free Garden Publication

An interesting garden gift idea came to me when I saw an offer for a free 54-page publication called “Citizens Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety.” By the Environmental Protection Agency, online, it includes sections on integrated pest management strategies and using beneficial insects. Use a color printer to get the multicolored graphics, hole punch the papers and insert into a plastic binder. Presto, a holiday gift for new gardeners. Not for organic gardeners, but useful for families with children that are first time homeowners.

Garden Tools

The best garden tool I saw this year is the bulb planter designed and sold by White Flower Farm. It is red, 40 inches high (no bending required) and made with a heavy-duty stainless steal blade. Pricey at $84.95 but for a gardener who loves bulbs in their garden, this is well worth considering for holiday giving.

For gardeners who are seed-savers, check out herb and spice stores for small airtight containers to keep seeds clean and dry. My dad would save glass baby food jars, attach the lids to the bottom of a shelf. Another idea is to find a second hand kitchen cabinet. On the day of the gift exchange, offer to hang it in a cool dark location. This is an excellent garden gift for someone who loves to collect seeds, pods or dried plant material for crafts.