A harvest apron for pocket-less gardeners

A garden-inspired apron for the gardener-cook is a fun gift. You can also find gardening aprons for use outdoors that have plenty of pockets to hold seeds, keys, a notebook, small tools and more.

A boot scraper, seriously

April showers bring May flowers along with mud and debris that clings to gardeners’ boots and shoes. There are decorative boot scrapers made from iron, as well as more basic types made from rubber and brushes.

My favorite holiday plant, Amaryllis

During the holiday season, garden centers and big box stores carry boxes of amaryllis bulbs. One bulb can produce several large showy flowers indoors during winter, a warm welcome when the winds are howling. The flowers can be red, white, pink or bicolored. You’ll also find the bulbs in garden centers and gift shops as well as online.

Garden year-round with houseplants

Growing indoor plants brings cheer especially when you look out the window on a dull winter day. Ferns, orchids, African violets, succulents and tropical plants can add color (and sometimes fragrance) to a room.

Treat wild birds to a spa with a bird bath / heater

Our feathered friends need water all year long. For cold climates, a bird bath heater can keep the water from freezing. Don’t need a heater? Small bird baths and bird feeders make great gifts any time of year.

Garden books and magazines can make the day

There are countless field guides to help gardeners identify birds, butterflies, pollinators, wildflowers and weeds. For the vegetable gardener, there’s the new Fresh from the Garden: An Organic Guide to Growing Vegetables, Berries, and Herbs in Cold Climates, by John Whitman (University of Minnesota Press). How about a magazine subscription to Fine Gardening, Garden Design or a local garden publication?  The choices are endless. Happy shopping!

Membership in a local public garden

How about a membership to a local public garden or arboretum? Public gardens often provide classes and events for gardeners. Or, if your gift recipient already has a membership, consider a gift certificate for classes or the garden’s gift shop. 

When in doubt, gift certificates

You can’t go wrong with a gift certificate to a local garden center, a seed catalog, a garden-inspired gift shop, a garden product web site, or a book store. And, a gift certificate for a gardening or cooking class can inspire the recipient (and it might even pique the interest of the giver).