Our family gift for the holidays of 2017 was our lovely dog, Lily. She has been the constant during lots of change these past few years, and initially, her role was to replace the void left by our daughter Ellie as she went off to college. Lily has become my loyal garden companion. Come rain or shine, she is with me in the garden and is never happier exploring. For those of us who sadly can’t have a golden retriever as a gift this year, here are some other ideas for gardeners. Most of the gifts I recommend are items I have used/read/bought for others, so they come from a personal place—easy links to all products in the captions or included in the text. I always love to hear your recommendations. What’s your favorite garden gift idea? Get in touch and let me know at Your Garden Story.
Gardening Books
The Garden Against Time, by Olivia Laing
Featured in the New York Times, Laing’s interesting, partly memoir-based book describes her journey as she revitalizes her overgrown garden during the pandemic in Suffolk, England. Suitable for history lovers and gardeners, the book is about the “idea” of a garden and its context in history, art, and culture. As a Brit with a home in Suffolk and a gardening lover, I find it brings home much closer. It is a wonderful blend of Laing’s personal experience and reflections of garden stories from our collective past.
The New Gardeners Handbook, by Daryl Beyers
I was lucky enough to have Daryl as one of my lecturers at the NYBG while studying landscape design. This book is excellent as a gift for someone new to gardening or a reminder of some practical skills and tips for those who spend lots of time in the garden. From soil management to propagation and more, it’s a step-by-step guide on managing the basics in your garden, along with the science behind it. It is a handy reference book to keep on your gardening shelf.
The Cutting Garden, by Sarah Raven
This book has been well used in my garden this year. Sarah Raven, who created the fantastic garden and nursery at Perch Hill in England, teaches us how to create a cut-and-come-again flower garden. Suitable for beginners or experienced growers, big gardens or small, she teaches us how to grow a variety of blooms and make floral arrangements. Beautifully illustrated and easy to follow, it’s a joy to read.
Nature’s Best Hope, by Douglas Tallamy
I make no excuse for having this on my list again this year. As you may remember, this book kick-started my vision for Your Garden Story. Doug Tallamy’s insightful research into how we can ALL take responsibility for making the world greener struck home. Along with the data, Doug describes how we can personally work to turn our yards into wildlife habitats with practical and specific suggestions—an absolute must-have for any would-be gardener who wants to make the world greener.
Seeds
As some of you may remember, I began my year sowing seeds at our house in CT and home in Brooklyn. With family also in the UK, I am frequently on the move, so having self-watering trays is the only way to successfully start the sowing season early. It’s also a bonus if you are new to seed sowing and unsure how much water to use. Burpee Self Watering Seed Trays are the best I have tried; they are easy to use, clean, and reuse, and they are not too big to move around. I had a 100% success rate with them last year and will use them again. Use the Burpee Grow Light if you need more light than your house/apartment allows. The lights accelerate growth and are adjustable to enable you to raise the light fixture as the seeds get taller.
Knowing where to start can be difficult because there are so many seed suppliers now. If you are buying for a beginner, herbs are a good place to start. Buy individual packets of seeds as gifts; once they have germinated, they can be combined in a container. So, combining seed packets and a container is a lovely gift.
Remember to buy combinations of herb seeds that have similar growing conditions. For example, herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage, and oregano, like dry, well-drained soil, work great together in a container. Johnny’s seeds are high quality and offer a vast variety of herbs.
Burpee also does a lovely starter kit of basil and chives, perfect for apartment growing or a small garden and a friend new to gardening. It’s important to purchase seeds from a reliable source and not be thrown by offers from non-specialist companies that may seem cheap and cheerful but are likely not good quality seeds. My favorite seed companies are Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Hudson Valley, and Burpee.
Planters/Pots
Bergs Potter is an excellent option if you are looking for indoor or outdoor containers. Bergs Potter has been making pottery since 1942. Designed in Denmark and produced in Tuscany, Italy, of high-quality terracotta, their pots are beautiful, and plants love them. With several different designs on offer, you will find pots for both indoor and outdoor use. Your Garden Story is running a promotion through the end of the year whilst stocks last; use Code F&F at checkout and get 33% off all Bergs Potter items at Wendy’s Holiday Supplies. Here are a few of my favorites this year.
Best Garden Tools
Sneeboer & Zn are high-quality gardening tools that are a staple in my potting shed. They are beautifully designed, and as a bonus, you can personalize them by requesting your gift be engraved. Well used in my garden this year is the Hand Leaf Rake, ideal for tight spaces, clearing leaves around plants, and seed sowing where the soil is light and easy to manage.
Every gardener needs a Hori knife, and Niwaki is the place to source one, Hori Hori Knife
It’s brilliant for planting, weeding, and cutting root balls. Always buy one with a holster, as they can be sharp buried in your garden bag.
Felco Garden Pruners are on the list again this year. They are sharp, durable, smooth, easy-to-repair pruners and the go-to for experienced gardeners. As thousands of gardeners know, a Felco 2 may be the last pruner anyone ever has to buy.
For those planning on growing seeds in the garden or, like me, starting a cut flower bed where the layout is key, a planting line is a must. I made do with string and sticks, but this Planting Line from Burgon and Ball would have been great.
It’s 10m long, made of natural jute twine, and perfect for keeping lines straight in your planting bed. A Planting Ruler, especially one with metric and imperial measures, is also handy.
Finally, another practical but handy gift for a gardener is Garden Twine in a Can. It’s so easy to lose a ball of string in your garden bag or potting shed, so having twine to hand in an easy-to-find can is a godsend. It’s easy to refill and always helpful. This one from White Flower Farm is nearly 500’ long and made of biodegradable twine.
Subscriptions
If you are a member of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in the UK, you can get tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show on Members Day before it opens to the general public. And, of course, you also get discounted tickets to all RHS gardens in the UK. RHS Membership Individual membership is just £58.50. RHS Gardens include Sissinghurst, Beth Chattos Plants & Gardens and Hidcote, amongst many others. Once registered for membership, you can buy tickets to Chelsea on the RHS website Tickets for Chelsea Flower Show.
Tickets sell out quickly, so be sure to buy them promptly. It is a fantastic show, and even better to see before the crowds arrive. Monty Don is creating a garden for the show this year with Radio 2, specially designed for dogs. I can’t wait to see it!
If you are based in the US, the American Horticultural Society is equivalent to this with similar benefits. AHS Membership
Themed gifts
Bird Lovers
Our eldest daughter is an enormous bird enthusiast, inspiring us to pay more attention to the birds in our back gardens. Last year, her fiance bought her a bird camera for the garden, and it has been intriguing watching robins, blackbirds, sparrows, and, of course, the odd pigeon enjoy the snacks the camera offers. We are buying one this year for our garden in Brooklyn, where we get a surprising number of colorful birds. Several are on the market, but this one by Birdfy Bird Camera seems pretty well-reviewed. Let me know how you get on with it; I love to see your photos.
Native Plant Lovers
The Gowanus Canal Conservancy is close to my heart, with a mission to build a thriving and resilient urban ecosystem in the Gowanus area of Brooklyn, NYC. The Lowlands Nursery is part of the organization and sells and donates native plants adapted to local urban conditions. A not-for-profit community nursery, they have a wide range of native plants. I worked with the fantastic team at GCC in the nursery, and the plants are grown from seed or plugs and nurtured by staff and volunteers on site. A gift card for Lowlands Nursery is perfect for the urban gardener. Available in $25 credits, the cards can be used multiple times – GCC Gift Cards. All proceeds support the conservancy’s mission-based education and stewardship programs.
Bits and Bobs
These galvanized baskets, made in France of two layers of steel wire, are cute, functional, and a nice feature on your worktop. I used them to pick flowers and vegetables from the garden and for storage in the kitchen.
I am a big fan of journals and anything that supports mindfulness in the garden. I haven’t tried this Mindful Gardener Journal, but it sounds like a good gift for someone seeking a sense of calm in the garden. The journal includes writing prompts, material, and inspirational quotes.
Red socks from The Goat Company. Anyone who watches Gardeners World (available on Amazon Prime in the US) knows Monty Don, the host, wears only red socks. If you have a gardening friend who is a Monty fan, gift them red gardening socks and purchase them at The Goat Company. Even better, you support British farming and conservation by buying from the craftsmen who produce the socks.
Get in touch
Get in touch if you want more information on items included in this blog or need help sourcing any items listed. Your Garden Story is here to help bring out the gardener in all of us.
Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday
Love Wendy xxx
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