Gifts for Gardeners

Gardeners are some of the easiest people to please with a gift whether it is for a special occasion like holidays, birthdays or any other occasion. Homemade gifts are unique and a labor of love. What a great way to spend time making a thoughtful gardening gift when it is too cold to work in the garden. When it comes to garden gift giving, it really is the thought that counts. Gardening books are another great option. Look for books suite to your location or general interest books on floral design, garden crafts or landscape design. Magazine subscriptions with regional titles or general gardening magazines such as Garden Gate, Country Living and Fine Gardening are sure to please any gardener. Many gardeners appreciate gifts of wind chimes, rain gauges, windowsill herb gardens, garden seats or kneelers, vertical gardens, snap and grow greenhouses and garden carts or wagons. Other great contenders are garden clogs or rubber boots, gardening gloves, bird feeders, bird houses, bird baths, heaters for bird baths, garden tools and garden art - go easy on the garden gnomes and pink flamingoes unless you have a friend who collects specific objects. Check out special National Garden Club gift ideas by shopping in our online store.

Gardening Gift Baskets: Of course, the container does not have to be a basket. Use the container as part of the gift such as a metal tub with garden pictures or seed packets decoupaged on to make them permanent or a garden themed tote bag, window flower box, wooden crate, watering can or a wooden basket with a handle to carry flowers or vegetables from the garden.

• Find an antique watering can and fill it with gardening hand tools, seed packets, garden twine, gloves, a folding pruning saw, plant markers and other gardening necessities. 
• Make a gardener care basket with a set of good hand pruners, blade sharpener, garden gloves, heavy-duty hand cream and a nailbrush.
• Put together a seed starter kit by using a large hand decorated flowerpot as a container and adding some smaller pots, seeds, a bag of potting soil and small watering can. With this gift, your gardener can start seedlings inside in late winter or early spring.
• Combine a flower-scented candle, garden themed mug, box of herbal tea, package of cookies and bubble bath for relaxing after a long day in the garden.
• Find a cool garden hat and add a bottle of sunscreen, hand lotion and insect repellent along with a water bottle and bandanna. 

Homemade Gift Ideas:  Add a gift tag with dried flowers from your yard and "Hand Crafted" by you printed on it to personalize your garden gift. An easy homemade gift is plant markers made from rocks picked up in your yard and painted with names of plants or flower art applied with paint or gel pens and covered with a clear sealer. Benefits of "rock markers" are that they do the job for free, are decorative, will not turn into compost and will not blow away.

Flower Pots: You could buy a beautiful ceramic glazed flowerpot or make a hand-painted one so it will be a more personalized gift. Flowerpots come in all sizes and are cheap and easy to recycle. You can find them at garage sales and thrift stores or you probably already have some that could use some sprucing up. Use acrylic paint to decorate them. If you are not confident in your painting skills, use a stencil instead. Paint the pot first with a water-based primer, add your decorative touch and finish it off with a coat of clear varnish to protect your artwork. It should stay vibrant and colorful. You could also paint very small clay pots and use them as garden plant markers or run a rope through them to make a wind chime. It really is the thought that counts when it comes to gift giving. Get creative, have some fun and happy gardening.