Gifts for Gardeners

Here are some suggestions for unique Christmas gifts if you have a gardener in your life.  I use most of these items myself, so can recommend them confidently and without hesitation. Many of the items are very low priced, so they would be good for stocking stuffers. Another possibility is to create a gift basket with a few of the items.

Edible Paradise: A Coloring Book of Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables            

Gardeners like to relax during the off season, or after a long day tending their edible paradise.  This lovely coloring book celebrates the magnificent beauty of nature’s edible bounty. It contains seasonal delicacies found in forests, fields, gardens, and urban farmer’s markets.  You’ll find strawberry patches; bouquets of fresh herbs; beehives and honeybees; fall harvest baskets and nuts rolling on the forest floor. This book of illustrations is great for such mediums as colored pencil, pen and ink, and watercolor. Here is this wonderful coloring book at Amazon.com    Here is a quality colored pencil set.

Pocket Hose            Here’s a photo of my coiled hose in my garden:  

I used this for the first time this past season, and loved it!  I know there are bad reviews on Amazon, and I usually trust those reviews and don’t buy or recommend things that are reviewed badly.  But in the case of the pocket hose, I don’t understand.  It is SO MUCH EASIER to manage than a regular hose.  It’s lightweight and effortless to maneuver around the garden without destroying plants.  It doesn’t get kinked or tangled.  And it’s super easy to coil.

To ensure success, make sure to always have the valve open so that it won’t build up pressure.  However I didn’t do this and my Pocket Hose was still fine after a complete season of heavy use.    Here is a flexible hose for sale at Amazon.

Weed Torch                              

A hand-held torch wand is an easy way to weed, and it eliminates the need for chemical herbicides.  The wand has a propane bottle attached to it.  A small flame comes from the end of the wand, and is used to touch the weeds.  Only a second or two is needed until the weeds start to wilt.  That’s enough to kill the weed.  Here is the wand for sale at Amazon.

A Worm Composting Bin                              

Worm castings are a mixture of worm’s manure and the slime emitted through the worms’s skin.  It is called vermicompost, and is very rich in plant nutrients.  A vermicomposting bin is a gift that will allow the gardener to easily create this valuable soil amendment.  I recommend The Worm Factory; a double decker bin so that compost can be made in one bin, and then the worms migrate on their own to another bin.  This will save the trouble of picking the worms out of finished vermicompost.

Also, as waste is broken down, nutrient-rich liquid is generated.   This substance can be drained from the Worm Factory’s spigot and used as a liquid fertilizer for plants.   Here is the Worm Factory at Amazon.com

Soil Thermometer                         

The only sure way to know when it’s safe to plant is to take the soil’s temperature.  Soil – not air – temperature is the trigger for seed germination.  Soil temperature changes gradually.  Factors that affect the process include the soil’s exposure to sunlight, its texture, moisture content and surface level (low-lying, flat or mounded).  Gardeners can expect particular soil temperatures to bring particular results. Most cool-loving garden vegetables germinate only when the soil reaches an average 45 degrees.  Seeds for warm-loving plants wait until typical temperatures are 55 F.   Preferred temperatures for several vegetables can be found here.  Here is a good quality soil thermometer.

Seed heat mat                      

Most seeds will germinate without additional heat, but for faster, more robust growth, a heat mat is a marvelous invention and would make an appreciated gift for gardeners who prefer to start their plants indoors.  It especially works well if the germination station is in a cool room, basement or garage.  The Vivosun Heat Mat gently and reliably warms the seeds and is well-made and durable.  It only uses 45 watts of power to warm the root area 10 to 20 degrees over the ambient temperature.  This mat is UL listed and has a waterproof construction.   Here is the Vivosun Heat Mat at Amazon.com.

Vegetable Sweetness Measurement Tool                    

A way for gardeners to further refine their success with home-grown vegetables is to work to increase brix, a measurement of flavor and sweetness.  A refractometer would allow the gardener to take brix measurements.  You can read more about brix here.    Here is a refractometer at Amazon.com

Seaweed Fertilizer                                 

Another way to give your gardener an out of the ordinary gift is with a fertilizer that is different from most N P K fertilizers.  Liquid seaweed is great nourishment for plants but has many other minerals, vitamins, and enzymes that are natural growth stimulants. Many of these are not found elsewhere. These nutrients fuel the plant cell’s growth and result in healthier, stronger, and more disease-resistant plants.  The gardener can expect an increased uptake of nutrients from the soil, better resistance to frost and other stress conditions, increased resistance to pests, and, best of all, increased yields!  I have done seaweed fertilization with the powdered version of a product called Maxicrop.  It is also sold in a liquid form, but mixing the soluble powdered form is much more cost effective.  A 10.7 ounce container will make 65 gallons!  It dissolves very easily in water and my plants enjoy the excellent source of nutrition that seaweed provides.   Here is Maxicrop for sale at Amazon.com.

Gloves with Claws                                 

This unique glove has claws on three fingers of the left hand (for right handed people).  This provides a way to dig in the soil without mangling fingertips.  I use these gloves to loosen weeds and to smooth the soil when creating planting beds.  The glove is made of Nitrile which provides a good grip and is easy to clean up.  The claws are made of a durable material that stands up strong.  The glove has a breathable stretchy fabric n the back and the cuff fits snug to prevent dirt from entering the glove.  I would have never thought of a glove of this type, and was so happy to have found them.  Here are these gloves for sale on Amazon.

Book: The Intelligent Gardener: Growing Nutrient Dense Food           

I highly recommend Steve Solomon’s latest book because it teaches how to grow food that is particularly high in nutrients.  Mr. Solomon is a knowledgeable gardener who has written several garden books after starting the Territorial Seed Company in 1979 when he was 37 years old. He continues to garden and grow a large portion of the food he eats. He has been growing most of his family’s food for over 35 years.

In this latest book, he has transformed from an expert “organic” gardener to an expert “nutrient dense” gardener.    The concept of nutrient dense food is pretty simple. Plants contain nutrients derived from the soil, so if the soil is low in nutrients so are your vegetables. The gardener works over time to balance the soil with the proper mix of minerals. The result will be an environment that encourages the soil life forms (worms, bacteria, etc.) to create soil that will grow healthier plants that are also more resistant to pests.  This book will give the vegetable gardener a way to expand their knowledge and increase the benefit of the vegetables grown.  Here is this book for sale at Amazon.com.

Row cover                         

Most gardeners live in a climate where an extension of the growing season would provide more gardening pleasure.  Floating row cover is a lightweight blanket for plants and an easy way to extend the growing season.  With this product, planting can be done earlier in the spring so that seeds will germinate faster and plants will get off to a better start.  Fall plantings grow better, and vegetables will last longer as the weather turns from cool to cold.  Agribon 19 offers several degrees of frost protection. and allows 85% light transmission.  Here is Agribon 19 for sale at Amazon.com

Felco Hand Pruner                         

Felco Pruners are the BEST, but they are a bit spendy and not something a frugal gardener can often afford. They are exceptionally well-made and durable with a blade that is made of high-quality hardened steel, which allows clean, precise cuts.  Here are these wonderful pruners for sale at Amazon.com

Hand Hoe                              

I love this hand weeder.  I have used it for at least 20 years.  I’ve purchased several of them, so they are readily available in my large garden.   This tool is strong, well-made and durable and makes for efficient weeding.  The clever design is great for swiping evil weeds in among the garden plants.  The pointed corners are good for digging down into the weeds’ root ball.  Here is this awesome hoe at Amazon.com.

Custom “street” sign           

Have this street sign created with the gardener’s name, or another meaningful saying, and it will make a unique gift for their garden paradise.  Here is this sign at Amazon.com

I couldn’t see a way at Amazon’s site to create the sign with the cursive writing shown above in the lower left corner.  I inquired about that and I got the following email response: “Hi Laura, Thank you for your interest in my signs! They are completely customizable and are made based on requests of the customer. I like to offer unlimited options so I do not make a list to choose from. If you would like cursive, block, fancy, or cartoon style, I can make them all. I have also put company logos and other designs on the signs based on images provided by the customer. Anything is possible, simply let me know what you have in mind!”

Garden Art 

Here is a link to garden art section at Amazon.com.  There are many wonderful artists who have their items for sale so many wonderful ideas there for gifts.  Click here to check it all out:  Link to Handmade Garden Decor Shop