Gift Ideas for Gardeners Who Have Everything

Some folks are just harder to buy for than others: They have everything and often they don’t really want more. But, you still want to express how much they mean to you with a gift this holiday season. So, here are a few gift ideas for gardeners who have everything.

  1. low res ng coverA subscription to Northern Gardener! We could not suggest gift ideas without including our own award-winning magazine — Minnesota’s only homegrown gardening magazine. It comes out six times a year and is full of gardening ideas and advice for both new and experienced gardeners. Our writers are all northerners and we are never going to lure you with a photo of a gorgeous plant that can’t be grown north of Tennessee! And, at this time of year, we’ll cut the subscription cost by $5, and we’ll add two months to your Northern Gardener subscription or membership. (Use the promo code GIFT15 at checkout.) Here’s another nice thing about a subscription: Your gardener friend can pass his or her issue along to another gardener when they are done. You can check out our website for more information or call 651-643-3601.
  2. Bulbs for Forcing. Many garden centers stay open through the holiday season and offer baskets of prechilled bulbs often in pretty baskets or containers that will brighten up any holiday home. For a gardener who is indoors all winter, it’s a joy to see tulips or daffodils in January.
  3. blueberry jamSomething homemade, especially from the garden. Do you can or make jam? How about baking? A box of homemade jams, salsas or sauces along with a couple of packs of cookies or some homemade bread will make any gardener smile. If you don’t do canning yourself, no worries! Check out some of the local winter farmers’ markets or shops for home-canned goods.
  4. Seeds, glorious seeds! A few packs of seeds for heirloom vegetables or unusual annuals would make a great stocking stuffer for the gardeners on your list. You can order them online even now.
  5. A really nice tool.  We’re trying not to suggest permanent things, but….what gardener does not want a really nice tool. In the November/December issue of Northern Gardener, Gail Brown Hudson interviewed some of Minnesota’s best known professional gardeners and asked what their favorite tool is. Here’s the article. It’s worth checking for tools your favorite gardener would like.tool
  6. A tree in the future! It’s too late in the season to plant a tree now, but if you know your favorite gardener is planning some new landscaping for next summer, how about a gift certificate for a new shrub or tree. Many garden centers are happy to give you a gift certificate for next year. (Here’s our list of discount partners and many of them are open through the holidays.)
  7. The gift of learning. Winter is long, and many gardeners enjoy classes and garden days during the cold months. MSHS offers classes, but so does the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and many garden clubs and master gardener groups have “Hort Days” in the winter. This list of events is constantly updated.
  8. Free labor. For some gardeners, a little extra muscle during the busy season would be the best gift of all. GIve your favorite gardener a gift certificate for help with laying down mulch, planting annuals or putting in the vegetable garden. Time spent together in the garden is the best gift of all.

What’s your favorite garden gift?

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