Gardening gift thoughts, from dirt cheap to exquisite | The Compleat Home Gardener

You can get your loved ones some upgrades — or even just the gift of your time.

The garden may be slipping into winter dormancy this week but this is a good time to consider how the Christmas spirit can plant the seeds of great gifting ideas for the garden and beyond.

From stocking stuffers to dream vacations, here are some ideas to give and to receive:

Dirt cheap and always needed:

Give the gift of your time or labor. If you can pull weeds, move mulch or dig holes you are invaluable to a gardener. If you have a garden, and what you really want is the promise of some free labor, than circle this paragraph and send it to someone that might be on a budget, but that wants to gift you something really special.

Pretty cheap and always needed:

Stuff those stockings with gloves. Garden gloves are always appreciated because in our climate the weeding will involve moist soil and damp weeds. A fresh pair of gloves to pull on after an hour of weeding or pruning is one of life’s little luxuries. My favorite gloves are the cotton type that breathe but with palms and fingers dipped in nitrile to keep the moisture out. Rose growers and those with sticker-y shrubs will appreciate the thicker gloves that go half way up the arm to protect you from plants that make a point to fight back.

Not so cheap but an upgrade:

A new light weight hose or hose bib that easily winds up the hose is a practical upgrade that will be much used this coming summer. I have not yet found a lightweight hose that is perfect, so cannot recommend a brand name, but hoses and hose bibs have been improved in the last few years. Lugging a heavy hose that kinks around the garden or having to hand coil a hose after you water can be a nightmare left in the past. Go online and look at all hose and hose storage options – you will be amazed.

Rather Priceless but still under $100

Tickets to the NWFG show are available online at www.gardenshow.com so you can treat your favorite gardener to a breath of spring air this February 18 to 22 2026. You can join me for tea this year as part of the Travelers Tea Party on Wednesday, February 18 at 3:30. We will travel to Italy on the big screen at this tea time and learn tips for creating drought resistant gardens from the Italians. Be sure to dress for tea (hats and gloves optional) as you will be served a traditional high tea menu of sweet and savory treats. Limited seating, reserve online at the show sight. Price: NWFG Show tickets from T$15., and High Tea and Italian Inspiration show $99.

The Big “Mama Mia” Gift!

Delight someone with the gift of travel.

Join my husband and I as we host a trip to Northern Italy this September 8 to 18, 2026 to explore the delights of Venice, The Dolomites, Verona and more. The unique itinerary allows us to stay in the town of Treviso for ten nights with a new adventure every day including Tiramisu-making demo, Prosecco winery and tasting, a visit to a Venetian villa and garden, glass blowing demo and more. Most meals, luxury coach, local guide and round trip airfare included with a mix of free time and planned activities. Staying in one town for this eleven day trip means you will get to experience Italy like a local during a time of year when many tourists are gone but the weather still sunny and in the 70s. Price with airfare from Seattle: $4,944

Email me for a detailed e-brochure at mariannebinetti@comcast.net or visit Collette Travel at gateway.gocollette.com/link/1321880

Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of “Easy Answers for Great Gardens” and several other books. For answers to gardening questions, visit plantersplace.com and click “As The Expert”. Copyright for this column owned by Marianne Binetti. For more gardening information, she can be reached at her website, www.binettigarden.com.