We’re ten days away from Christmas Eve. It’s time to start shopping if you haven’t done so already, and I wanted to offer a few suggestions for finding practical gift for gardeners this season.

Holiday Gift Ideas for Gardeners

The Best Weed Tool

Over 20 years ago, CobraHead sent me a prototype of their hand weeder to try and I fell in love. Since then I’ve purchased several for myself and fellow gardening friends. This handy curved tool is ideal for scraping out tiny weeds or digging out the big ones. And it’s indestructible. At least I haven’t destroyed it, which is saying something. I’ve snapped innumerable shovels and have broken so many other tools, but the CobraHead is always reliable. I have the original weeder and cultivator, but there is a mini version along with an option with the longer handle that is particularly handy for those who don’t want to bend over to tackle their weeding tasks.

Stirrup Hoe

If I need to tackle larger areas, especially early in the spring, I reach for the stirrup hoe. Aptly named, the head of the hoe looks like a stirrup. It has a sharp blade that zips through small weeds, and it’s remarkable to cut down small weeds, which is a huge help in overall weed control. This is an excellent weed elimination tool to have in your arsenal. 

Good Work Gloves

Gardeners, and anyone who works outside, appreciates a durable pair of gloves. When I work with stone building gardens, pathways, or patios I prefer a fairly heavy leather glove. It’s a balance of finger dexterity and protection. Even so, it doesn’t take long before they’re worn with holes. Last year my son received a pair of Handlandy waterproof, insulated work gloves, and he swears by them when he’s working outside in cold, wet weather. They’ve lasted a season without falling apart, which is impressive in and of itself. For anyone working out in the garden during the late fall or early spring, they’ll keep your hands warm and dry. 

NutraSaff Anti-Squirrel Seeds

If squirrels empty your feeders faster than the birds, consider switching to NutraSaff seeds. This doesn’t have the hard outer shell like regular safflower seeds, but birds such as grosbeaks, cardinals, nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers and finches love it, while squirrels don’t like the bitter taste. Our local Audubon chapter, who maintains feeders in a local park, use NutraSaff to keep the feeders filled for the birds without having a sunflower hull mess underneath them. When you’re introducing NutraSaff to your backyard flock, mix it half and half with sunflower or a birdseed mix until they’re fine with eating it straight.

Hori Hori

This is another incredibly handy tool, sometimes called a “soil knife” that is used to dig, weed and cut, along with prying root crops or roots out of the ground. A hori hori has a roughly one inch blade that is sharp on both side and is sharp on the top. There’s often a sheath that comes with it because you wouldn’t want to reach in your tool bucket and accidentally grab the sharp metal!

Felco Pruners

I also have to give a nod to Felco pruners, my go-to when it comes to pruning trees or cutting back perennials. They’re well built and durable, along with offering high-quality blades. The nice part of this particular brand is they are well-balanced and ergonomically made so your hands don’t become tired. 

Hydroponic Growing System

Last year I utilized the Rise Garden system to raise lettuce, basil and cilantro. Even though it was below zero for months, the light and hydroponic system were ideal for them to grow happily and abundantly with very little fuss outside of ensuring there was enough water in the system as they grew. There is an app to guide you, and fairly easy directions even if you are not technologically inclined, making this a terrific gift for anyone who can’t wait until they can plant outside again. 

Hopefully this gives you a few ideas for high-quality and unique gifts for your gardening friends and for you to put on your own wish list!