Top 10 Gardeners Gifts
Ranked #12,957 in Home & Garden, #177,718 overall
The Perfect Gardening Gift - Ten Inexpensive Gardeners Gifts That Every Gardener Needs
If you're looking for a few inexpensive gardening gifts to give the gardener in your life and all you can sadly think of is a bunch of daffodils or an ornamental flower pot, what you probably need is a hefty dollop of inspiration!
Personally I firmly believe in the old gardening adage that there are two types of gardeners, the 'lookers' and the 'doers'. The 'lookers', well we know how to appreciate somebody else's hard work. A nicely manicured front lawn or beautifully turned out flower bed makes us feel all rosy and warm as we sip a refreshing drink from the front porch, but the 'doers' well you've got to take your hat off to them. Without them we 'lookers' would have nothing to look at.
In fact 'doers' are the lifeblood in any garden, regardless of the weather, they're out there pruning and weeding, sowing and raking, deriving pleasure from the fact that they're not only doing a valuable job but they're doing that job well.
Now as a fully paid up 'looker' my inspiration for gardening gifts used to consist of a quick jaunt around the local garden centre in the forlorn hope that something cheap, shiny and easy to wrap would catch my eye, so I could happily go home with another birthday present thoughtfully sorted. However after I bought a certain family gardener, wind chimes for the third year in a row (Ah yes the Christmas of 2009 - one to quickly forget) I finally got the message that maybe it was time to find out what a keen gardener would actually find useful in the garden.
So that's just what I did, I scoured the internet, did research in garden centers and then finally asked a range of gardeners this simple question:
'If a relative or friend was going to spend around $20 on a gardening gift for you, what would you like?
So in no particular order of desire here's a wish list of the Top 10 Gardening Gifts as requested by gardeners themselves.
1. Aluminum Garden Tool Set
Normally comprising of a trowel, transplanter and a cultivator (that's the little fork shaped one), a quality garden tool set is indispensable. Useful for all sorts of gardening issues, aluminium sets are simply the best because they're strong and don't rust. A good tip is to try and buy a sharp edged trowel, it makes gardening just that little bit easier and anything that saves time and effort in the garden is always greatly 2. Pruner
Every gardener needs a good pruner, preferably one that doesn't give you blisters after a hard days work. So look for comfortable and contoured handles and also sharp blades. (Remember to look after your fingers). If you want to spend a little extra for the gardener with a weaker hand, then think about 'geared' pruners that assist your grip. Also look at gift idea #7. 'Reinforced Gloves', pruning without gloves is always a bad idea (I should know, I almost pruned my little finger off a couple of years ago. Not a pleasant memory!) Aluminum Tool Sets and Pruners
Perfect Gardeners Gifts
3. Thick Garden Kneeler
When you're talking garden kneelers
, thicker is always better, especially when they're padded and soft. You see the amount of time you spend in the garden on your knees can have a cumulative effect on your joints, leading to aches, pains and even arthritis, so make life easier and get a kneeler. Also look out for kneelers with handles. For a start they make standing up from a kneeling position easier and they can also double up as a seat when you fancy a rest. 
Violas and Pansies by chamomile
4. Leaf Scoops
To the casual observer leaf scoops look like dustbin lids, but in the right pair of hands they're an effective weapon on the autumnal scourge of every garden; leaves. With a leaf scoop you can now pick up giant mounds of leaves instead of just a handful at a time, you'll be surprised at how effective they are. In fact a pair of leaf scoops in experienced hands can help you reduce your leaf collection time by as much as 40% and if you've ever collected leaves you'll know what a bonus that can be. Two Leaf Scoops Are Better Than One
Garden Angel Hand Leaf Scoops Garden Tools
Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 05/28/2012)
There's nothing worse than picking up leaves handful by handful, that's why these durable plastic Leaf Scoops make autumn a breeze. Instead of just a few leaves at a time you can pick up handfuls of the blighters in a single scoop and then dump them in a handy bag. They cut garden tidying up time - radically!
5. Spiked Aerator Shoes
Lawns need to be aerated and the simplest way is to strap on a pair of aerator shoes and go for a little walk. Looking a bit like snow shoes even the lightest adults body weight, will press the spikes into hardened earth / dense turf and that allows air and moisture not to mention fertiliser to soak into the roots of your lawn. Probably one of the easiest ways to improve that overall garden look. 6. Gardening Container
A concertina type gardening container is always a welcome addition to any garden shed. Easy to hang up and store flat, but so useful for carrying weeds and rubbish around the garden. In fact once you've used a gardening container you'll never go back to using plastic sacks. There's no more searching for where the edges meet, no flapping around in the wind and best of all containers are just so easy to transport wherever you've got to go.TIP: Don't buy too big a container - you'll be surprised at how heavy wet leaves can be. Two smaller containers are easier on your back than just one large one.
Aerator Shoes and Garden Containers
Gardening Made Easy
What would be your ideal Gardening Gift?
This module only appears with actual data when viewed on a live lens. The favorite and lensroll options will appear on a live lens if the viewer is a member of Squidoo and logged in.
7. Reinforced Gloves
Essential for every gardener is a solid pair of gardening gloves
, Buy a pair that's sturdy enough to repel thorns and brambles but make sure they're also pliable so some dexterity is left in your fingers. Always wear a reinforced pair of gloves when you're pruning otherwise you could be paying a nasty visit to your local hospital. Also try and find the correct size of glove, there's nothing worse than having a pair of gloves that are so big they are always slipping off your hands. Except that is for a pair that are so tight they're cutting the circulation off to your fingers. 8. Rake with Spring-Back Tines
A good rake can save you hours of work in the garden especially if the tines are the spring back variety. Why? Well if you need to clean up a border where bedding plants are growing you could be there for hours on your hands and knees. But a spring back tine rake allows you to rake straight over the plants and still extract all the leaves and twigs that nature has decided to deposit on your beautiful border. Put a Spring In Your Rake's Step
Yard Butler LT-8 World's Greatest Shrub Rake
Amazon Price: $18.92 (as of 05/28/2012)
Oh you're going to love this rake. It's small enough to get into the tighest spaces and yet large enough to get the job done! What's more because of the 'spring- back' tines you can quickly and easily rake over your bedding plants and bulbs without disturbing them - sheer bliss.
'sunny felix' by wintersixfour
9. Tree Watering Tube
These tubes are normally sold by their brand name but all they basically are is a horseshoe shape container that fits around the trunk of your newly planted tree or shrub. The clever thing about the device is, it releases water a given rate so the tree/shrub has the best possible chance of surviving the initial shock of planting. Ingenious and ecologically sound too. Also it's a tree-mendous (ouch! Sorry I couldn't resist) time saver. Possibly one of the best unsung garden inventions of recent years. 10. Gnome
I know a garden gnome isn't everyone's idea of gardening sophistication, but they're fun and friendly and gardening is all about bringing happiness into your life. So go on embrace a gnome and bring a smile to your gardener's garden. Tree Watering Tubes and Gnomes
Take it Easy in the Garden
What would you like?
If someone was going to buy you a gardening present, which one would you vote for?
Gardex LS-1000 Poly Hand Held Leaf Scoops
Multi-Purpose, Poly, Hand Held, Leaf Scoops, Yard more...1 point
Ethel Printed Garden Gloves with Reinforced Fingertips
Get your hands dirty--but keep them clean--in thes more...1 point
OOZE TUBE TREE WATERING TUBE 15 GALLON GREEN
Designed by an ISA Certified Arborist, Ooze Tube d more...1 point
Garden Tool Set: 5 Piece Aluminum
This great garden tool set includes a cultivator, more...0 points
Fiskars 7936 PowerGear Pruner
Loppers Shears Pruners - Garden Tools Type: Hand P more...0 points
Tommyco GEL818 Garden GEL Translucent Kneelers
Colored green, purple, and blue translucent gel. D more...0 points
Bond 9215 Green Giant Spiked Aerator Shoes
Deluxe Velcro straps hold these light weight aerat more...0 points
Fiskars 9405 Kangaroo 30-Gallon Gardening Container
Perfect for pruning or weeding jobs, the Fiskars K more...0 points
Garden Gnome in Cone Hat & Rake 17" Tall
17" HIGH. MADE OF POLY-RESIN YARD ART STATUE more...0 points
Gifts that didn't make the 'Top Ten List' but were still pretty popular
You've got to remember that we're talking gardening gifts for roughly the $20 price tag, so unfortunately that puts all the pricey fun stuff out of reach. You know the chain saws and electric loppers, lawn mowers and shredders etc but gardeners being a resourceful lot still came up with quite a few things that they'd like.Now even though these next five items didn't reach the most popular Top Ten List I thought I'd still give them an honourable mention because if you're looking for inspiration any idea is better than none.
So here we go:
Garden Centre Gift Voucher
Personally gift vouchers always seem to strike me as being...well, a bit of a last ditch attempt when you can't think of anything else. But, apparently they're not! (Or so I've been emphatically told) They're really useful for saving towards an expensive item or letting you grab a little guilty pleasure that you wouldn't normally buy.
Bulbs and Seeds
Where would a garden be without bulbs and seeds? If the gardener you know likes growing things from scratch then these little beauties might be the way to grow (was that really necessary?) Be careful though that the seeds and bulbs are still within their sell by/growing date.
Bird Feeder
Always popular, unless the gardener also has a cat, nothing brings a garden more alive than the sound of birdsong.
Propagator
A Propagator? Yes a propagator, it's one of those little mini greenhouse thingys that sit on your kitchen window sill or in the shed window so you grow seeds into seedlings and then plant them in the garden ( Complements the seeds idea beautifully)
Decorative Plant Pots
I've got to say I would never have thought of this, but decorative plant pots help to transform barren spots and concrete yards. Simply put, take a space where nothing will grow, add a plant pot (preferably with a plant in it) and hey presto instant gardening.
Beautiful Gardens from our friends at Flickr
Just how green are your fingers?
Love to Hear your Comments!
-
-
jessicahoward May 19, 2011 @ 3:24 am | delete
- Oh yes bird feeder is definately a great idea.. and the garden sure does come alive with lot of birds chirping along!
-
-
-
GrammaLinda
Apr 19, 2011 @ 12:00 am | delete
- I could definitely use a garden container. Never had heard of them before. Thanks for the info.
-
-
-
TheWhistler
Mar 30, 2011 @ 11:18 am | delete
- Not that green.
-
-
-
sousababy
Nov 16, 2010 @ 8:31 am | delete
- Oh my goodness, the leaf claw is one of the best things I have ever seen. My husband also cut his finger badly pruning - so it is great that you mention them in your pruning part. Great lens!
-
-
-
Swisstoons
Oct 6, 2010 @ 5:56 pm | delete
- You've selected some great gifts for a gardener and most seem within the budget of a kid shopping for his or her gardening grandparent! Thumbs up! I'm selnsrolling this to my gardening-related lens.
-
-
-
prosperity66 Feb 28, 2010 @ 4:15 am | delete
- Well done for a commercial only lens!
Dom.
-
Need a Few More Gift Ideas?
Looking for Garden Shows?
- Essential British Gardens
- A marvellous site listing loads of Garden Shows and Events from the U.K and Republic of Ireland.
- HomeOwner.net Home and Garden Shows
- A useful site listing Home and Garden Shows across the U.S. by State
- The Queensland Gardening Pages
- Information and Resources about plants and gardens for Brisbane and Queensland
by Tempus
Sometimes when you see something great, you just want to tell everyone about it. That's why Squidoo is so much fun.
Initially I thought, what a good...
more »
- 30 featured lenses
- Winner of 17 trophies!
- Top lens » The Best USB Microphone for Podcasting
Explore related pages
- How to Make a Topiary How to Make a Topiary
- Little Gardener Gifts Little Gardener Gifts
- Hori Hori Japanese Gardening Knife Hori Hori Japanese Gardening Knife
- Great Gift Ideas for Gardeners Great Gift Ideas for Gardeners
- Little Green Thumbs: Gardening For Kids Little Green Thumbs: Gardening For Kids
- Dig Up Some Gardening Gift Ideas For People Who Love Gardening Dig Up Some Gardening Gift Ideas For People Who Love Gardening
Just How Tough Are You?
The Perfect Gardening Gift
The Vegetable Gardener's Bible, 2nd Edition
Amazon Price: $14.16 (as of 05/28/2012)
Ed Smith and his family have been growing wonderful vegetables for years and now he shares his secrets with you. Full of great photos and helpful advice it's indispensable for every gardener who wants to grow their own vegetables
