In the days leading up to Christmas and Hanukkah, I heard and read a lot of different stories about “the best gifts for gardeners.” I may have shared a few on Twitter myself.
But I probably shared very few because for the most part very few of them actually appealed to me! Call me jaded–or perhaps it’s just that after 20-plus years of gardening in the same location, I have what I need–but lots of suggestions for gloves, pruners, twine and things like that I just didn’t find the least bit appealing.
For one thing, I have very tiny hands–so tiny that I will occasionally buy child-sized gloves. Anyone who buys me gloves is going to have to know me pretty well to get that correct.
And that will go for pruners as well. First of all, after all these years, I have literally dozens lying around the garage–and house. I have them in just about every room (with all those house plants, they come in handy!) But I don’t like just any pruner and when I am outside pruning most things a particular pair of Felcos™ is my go to pruner of choice. I don’t want–or need–anything else.
I did get a gardening book for Christmas but I have so many that it’s one I specifically asked for. Again, unless you know your gardener well–or unless it’s one of the very latest offerings from a publisher, how do you know the gardener hasn’t read it? I adore books as gifts and think winter is the perfect time to catch up on new reads and new gardening techniques. But I wouldn’t just spring a book on an unsuspecting gardener unless I were somehow sure he or she hadn’t read it.
The one suggestion that I heard a few times that I thought was good was a garden gift certificate. Yes, it’s unimaginative–one step above cash–but at least you know your gardening friend will truly be able to put it to good use for plants, tools or books that he or she really wants. Nothing wrong with that.
So if you haven’t finished your gifting yet–and some of you haven’t, with Hanukkah and Kwanzaa just beginning–maybe these thoughts will help you with the gardeners in your life.
Gardendaze 
I gave my new-to-gardening son two gifts: a 3-gallon watering can to replace the woefully small one he had been using, and several of the various Garden Gate book-format publications. I confess I almost felt a bit like a drug pusher with the books gift though, LOL! (Then again it’s not as if I gave him nursery catalogs, right? 😉
My favorite is a Korean Plow (hand tool)…….it i is easy to use and really does everything!
Oh yes! I have one and literally can’t live without it! Great suggestion. The only thing that I have found that even comes close is my Cobra head. It’s quite similar, just narrower, for when your garden gets extremely crowded (or overgrown). I love both of them. Thanks so much for reading and your suggestion.
Karla
Nice. I am sure he will be able to use both. And I am sure it will make him a more enthusiastic gardener as well. And next year, who knows? Maybe a garden catalog–or not.
Karla