EVERY YEAR I put my head and my heart into suggesting gifts that gardeners would be thrilled to receive. Then again, it’s possible this is simply my own wish list (hint, hint).
Treat the gardener on your gift list to a flexible, kink-free rubber hose in a fashionable color — life’s too short for intractable hoses. Holiday tip: Coil a green version into a delightful and very practical holiday wreath, top with a big bow and you won’t even have to wrap it.
I’ve never met a gardener who can resist accumulating seeds. However, I know plenty of people with their hands in the dirt who accidentally leave packets outdoors or haphazardly store them in unfavorable conditions. (Me, I’m talking about me.) Heat and humidity are the enemies of maintaining seed viability. While a sealed Mason jar or zip-close freezer bag stored in a cool, dry room will suffice, what gardener wouldn’t appreciate a smart seed-storage system. A plastic container with a secure clip top and custom labeled dividers helps keeps seeds organized while providing optimal storage conditions to preserve the longest seed life.
Even though this next item comes dangerously close to housekeeping, I can’t imagine gardening without a sturdy bristled broom or tool brush to keep the potting bench clear of debris, scrub tools and garden shoes free of caked on mud, and for sweeping pathways and garden surfaces — quietly.
In recent years the market has grown with various types of raised bed kits that allow almost instant planting. Kits come in a variety of sizes and depths and modular components on some models provide flexible layout options. A durable powdered coated or galvanized finish ensures a long garden life, while an open-bottomed design means never having to deal with clogged drainage holes.
Several years ago, my GROW colleague Colin McCrate and his wife Hilary Dahl of Seattle Urban Farm Company (seattleurbanfarmco.com) introduced the Freyr garden trellis, a string trellising system designed to maximize vertical growing space in any size garden. Easy to assemble and made of light weight, long lasting aluminum, the Freyr trellis accommodates vines and top-heavy flower or vegetable crops. Choose a subtle charcoal finish or accent the garden with a lavender, dusty blue, dandelion yellow or basil version. A package of compostable garden clips for training stems makes a practical and eco-friendly add on.
Ultra-flexible polyethylene tubs in various sizes and delightful colors stylishly tackle multiple garden tasks. The lightweight tubs with dual handles are a compost collector, tool carrier, impromptu watering can, harvest basket, and maybe even an ice bucket for your next sultry summer soiree. Made from UV and frost proof, food grade material, the tubs easily nest for storage and last for years. Another holiday tip: Skip wrapping and fill a tub with a bag of seed starting mix, a packet of seed and a pair of gloves.
Do gardeners really want another pair of gloves? The answer is yes; you can never have too many gloves.
Plenty of garden chores require heavy-duty tools, but sometimes a gardener just wants to quickly dash into the garden to snip a few herbs or harvest a bouquet. A pair of elegant Japanese garden snips with narrow blades and traditional butterfly-wing handles are ideal for making precise cuts.
This past year I learned the value of a garden kneeling bench. Position one way and you’ve got a convenient, sturdy seat or flip it over and the thick foam cushion becomes a comfortable kneeling surface while the heavy-duty steel rails provide support when getting up from chores at ground level — oof! The whole contraption easily folds away for storage.
Finally, top all your “brown paper packages tied up with string” with tickets to the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival coming to downtown Seattle, Feb. 18-22, 2026. Ticket info at gardenshow.com.
Lorene Edwards Forkner: is the author of “Color In and Out of the Garden.” Find her at ahandmadegarden.com and at Cultivating Color on Substack.
Comments are closed.