by Nancy Seddens

Created on: March 07, 2010   Last Updated: March 10, 2010

If you have a gardener on your gift list you have a wide range of items to choose from whether you are buying for a birthday, mother’s day or father’s day. Gardening websites and books are full of garden gadgets and accessories ranging from the very inexpensive to the big ticket item.

For the casual acquaintance or from a young child or grandchild to a parent or grandparent:  a gardening hat, knee pads, predator decoys (plastic owls etc.), garden covers (to protect plants from frost), or a garden journal are just a few of the inexpensive gifts a gardener would enjoy receiving.

Moving up to the more expensive and elaborate gifts a garden cart can be very useful yet seem too extravagant for a gardener to buy for himself; the same could be said for a composter, wheelbarrow or garden bench. Many gardeners would love to have a cold frame or a couple of fruit trees but hesitate to buy them for themselves because they question whether the expense is worth the return for their investment; received as a gift these items could be enjoyed with peace of mind.

A big ticket gift for that special gardener, either vegetable or flower, could be a greenhouse to extend their growing season or get an early start by growing their own bedding plants. For the avid flower gardener a lily pond would be a spectacular gift while for the vegetable gardener who goes about his hobby to the point of almost becoming a truck farmer, a tiller or small garden tractor would really make his day.

There are even some gifts that can either be very inexpensive or cost a lot depending on much you choose to spend. A gift certificate to a garden store or online site will always fit into a budget and bird baths, houses and feeders can either be cheaply made of plastic or can be elaborate works of art which carry a heavy price tag.

Those gardeners that grow vegetables also enjoy preserving their harvests for winter so canning jars and lids might be appreciated. For those who prefer freezing their bounty a vacuum food sealer could be a welcome gift and another idea would be a food dehydrator.

Perhaps the best gift of all would be the gift of a helping hand to the gardener in your life. Senior gardeners in particular might really appreciate having a raised bed or two built for them or their garden soil turned over in the spring and even a young able bodied gardener could often use a hand on a big project.

Giving a gardener a garden related gift shows that you care enough to go the extra mile to find something that they will not only enjoy but be able to use. It shows that you were thinking of them when you shopped and not just about buying a gift.  We have all heard, “it’s not the gift but the thought behind it”, but in this case they can receive both.

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