Gifts for Gardeners

Yesterday my husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas. He asks me this every year, and every year I give him some variation on the same answer: gardening stuff. Yesterday he thought he was pre-empting that reply by asking, “What do you want--besides plants?” It didn’t work. I said, “Other gardening stuff.” He rolled his eyes and changed the subject.

So, as a public service for people like my husband who are stuck buying gifts for the plant-obsessed, I offer you this list of gifts for gardeners:

1. Plants. Duh. Especially plants they can plant in their yards rather than something they have to pamper in the house. They’ll think of you every time they see it, water it, or pick aphids off it.
2. Seeds. Seeds are my favorite stocking stuffer. It hardly matters what kind. If you give me seeds, I’ll try to grow them. Seeds are magical.
3. Gift cards for nurseries or even big box stores that have plants, seeds, and gardening stuff. This is the easy option for those who want to do all their shopping in under an hour. Bonus points for gift cards to specialty nurseries (check online if you don’t have a local one). We gardeners will have a blast picking out weird plants that the local Home Depot would never think of carrying.
4. Good quality tools. Some of us hesitate to spend the money for high-quality tools, but good tools will last long enough to be passed down to the next generation of gardeners. Plus, they are a joy to use and make it less likely that your favorite gardener will get injured and need a ride to the ER. Don’t ask me how I know this.
5. Books and magazines about gardening. Bonus points for ones with full color glossy pages. These are called garden porn, and we love them.
6. The gift of your time and your hands--a homemade gift certificate for a load of manure or mulch and a promise to haul and spread it. Or maybe a promise to build a new raised bed. True story: my husband once got me a truckload of compost for our anniversary. I was thrilled. We gardeners are a strange bunch.
7. A tree can be a wonderful memento for you and your gardener to admire for many, many years to come. But only get one if you know what the gardener wants and what will grow in their yard.
8. Amaryllis or paperwhites to force indoors. Winter bulbs are great for brightening up dark days.
9. A piece of garden art--if you know the recipient’s tastes. Garden art, like any art, is personal. If you’re going to buy that giant orange welded wire slug, be sure your gardener wouldn’t rather have a sundial or a full-scale model of Stonehenge.
10. Some smaller items can be combined to make a gardener’s gift basket: seeds, a pair of gloves, a nice trowel, a gift certificate for hauling and spreading manure, etc. You can use a big pot instead of a basket. Big pots are the best.

So that’s my list. How about you? What gifts make your gardener’s heart thud with excitement?