From Sarah’s garden to yours

With the festive season upon us, a keen gardener can, with some clever and creative thinking, have a garden-themed Christmas wrapped under the tree, to make it a green yule filled with garden love.

Garden gifts for a non-gardener

The hardest group to bring into the horticultural festive fold is the non-gardener. For some people, gardening doesn’t spark joy, but that is no reason to bypass garden-related gifts for your favourite, brown-thumbed friend.

• Most of them have a garden of some sort that needs attention whether they like it or not. The gift here is one that removes garden chores like a robotic mower or a water timer and micro irrigation system, giving them the gift of time.

• You can also give them some actual time, and gift them a voucher offering to do work in their garden, or offering some of your expertise.

• Avoid giving live plants without any support or detailed instructions. Since the recipient is a non-gardener, these won’t have a high chance of survival.

• A fancy hose with all the settings may be extremely useful in the garden but could also bring joy to those who enjoy washing things and keeping them nice, like the car or the house. A 30-metre retractable hose reel will ensure that the hose gets to the cleaning job.

• If they are more of an indoor kind of person then giving gifts with a subtle garden theme, like a botanical jigsaw puzzle or cushions with a floral design might get them thinking about the outdoors.

Garden gifts for a child gardener

Kids can have an infectious enthusiasm for whatever you direct them towards and if you would like to create some keen mini-me’s in the garden, then give them gifts that would set them up for a lifetime passion for all things horticultural.

• A great place to start is some kid sized tools so everything is a good fit which would create a sense of belonging in the garden and make any activities easier for small hands to accomplish.

• Seed packets for things you know they will enjoy growing. Sunflowers, giant pumpkins and cherry tomatoes are a great place to start. Don’t include radish seeds, even though they grow quickly and look pretty, most kids don’t enjoy the flavour. Also provide follow-through support to make sure the seeds are watered well enough to germinate, and after-care in the garden so the bloom or the harvest is reached. The long-term nature and constant attention many plants require can be a little too much for many small gardeners, no matter how keen.

• Avoid gimmicky garden kits that won’t last or aren’t fit for purpose. If something doesn’t work properly or breaks quickly then it can only lead to disappointment. If you want to develop a life skill in your kids then always choose quality.

• A sprinkler may seem like an odd gift for a kid but aside from watering the garden, it can provide hours of fun on a hot summer day. Oscillating sprinklers are always a big hit but there are many other types to choose from.

Garden gifts for that dream project

If you want to turn the festive season into an opportunity to get a project taken care of that has been on the to-do list for far too long, then take action now. If subtle hints have gone by unnoticed, hijack the holidays to get the ball rolling.

• A ‘how-to’ book can ensure detailed instructions are available for getting the job done. Make sure the instructions in the book are how you want things to turn out.

• New tools that are necessary for the project can spur on frenzied activities as there is always a desire to try out new gifts.

• To make sure that the project gets off the ground shortly after Christmas, gift wrap all the materials that will be needed to complete the task. If it isn’t something that can be put under the tree, like a trailer load of compost – take a photo and pop it in a gift card, so they know what they are getting.

• And finally, always end the gift giving with a reward, some chocolate or their favourite tipple tied with a bow.

Garden gifts for the keen gardener

The passionate gardener is probably the hardest to buy for, as they most likely have everything they need already.

• The trick here is avoiding gimmicky items. It may be cute or funny, however, like with the kids’ gifts, it can only bring disappointment when something breaks or isn’t fit for purpose.

• Don’t try to replace common tools as gardeners can be very attached to their rake or hoe and if it isn’t broken then it doesn’t need an upgrade unless they have expressed a desire for something new. If they have a combisystem though, you can easily add to their range of attachments.

• This also applies to time savers. For the truly keen gardener, they aren’t looking to cut corners or save time. It is the task itself that brings joy and pleasure. If you do want to give them a tool, then look for something beyond the ordinary, that is new to the market, or does things differently. The kink-free Liano™ Textile Hose is a great example of innovation in the garden.

• Not every day can be a gardening day so get them a subscription to a gardening magazine (checking first that they don’t already have one) or a gardening book brimming with ideas and inspiration.

• T-shirts with a botanical print are always an original idea that can suit any gardener from a beautiful floral print or an image with a funny message such as ‘I dig gardening!’

• A good quality hand cream designed with gardeners in mind is always appreciated.

Garden gifts for retired gardeners

There comes a time for all keen gardeners when pottering in the garden for hours on end, digging and weeding is no longer possible, but the love of gardening is never lost. Bring joy to your favourite experienced gardener with garden-themed gifts.

• A houseplant can bring low maintenance gardening indoors and will help to keep a green thumb happy.

• Bonsai is a great way to create a beautiful garden on a small scale. Create a gift package with everything needed, including tools, supplies and instructions to get started in a new version of gardening that doesn’t require any digging.

• Spending time in a garden is a great way to get horticultural joy and pleasure, so consider tickets to a local garden open day, a garden show or even national or global travel to see some famous gardens.

Christmas is a time for giving and sharing and here in the Southern Hemisphere, there are no better gifts than the ones that will inspire your friends and family to get outside and grow good things.