Need a great present for someone who loves gardening? Start here!
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The good news is that we gardeners and nature lovers don’t need expensive, high-tech gear. But we’re also not the easiest to shop for, as many of us already have the basic tools. So, what on Earth—or would that be on earth?—do you give us? Here are 12 ideas from your Almanac editors.
Gift Ideas for Gardeners
Let’s start with what we wear in the garden—because, literally, clothes wear out!
What We Wear in the Garden
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The well-known expression “There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing” applies to gardening wear as well. The proper clothing can truly make gardening more enjoyable, especially in hot weather. Look for material that is …
- Lightweight and breathable
- Protective against the Sun’s rays
- Flexible so that you can move easily in the garden—no tight-fitting clothing
- Available in light colors, since dark ones absorb more heat
- Durable, with many pockets for garden tools
Here are some of our favorite things to wear in the garden.
1. The Best Gardening Hat
If the sun is relentless where you live, start thinking about the damage that it causes. Some of us wear baseball caps with breathable mesh. A wide-brimmed hat is best for those of us who are in the sun all the time. For example, the FURTALK Wide Brim Hat shown below is made of breathable material with UPF 50+ protection. We also like this floppy hat with a back flap to cover the back of the neck.
Or, wear a simple bandanna around your neck. Anything to avoid the possibility of skin cancer!
2. Women’s Heirloom Gardening Overalls
We get lots of compliments on our heirloom overalls. Overalls are a gardener’s uniform, but the old-fashioned ones were too heavy and rigid. This fan favorite is so comfortable to wear.
The Women’s Heirloom Overalls from Duluth Trading Company are lightweight, durable, and stretchy, so there’s no binding when you bend. Drip dry. Room for breezes and cooling. Love the knee pads.
There are LOADS of pockets, including one for your phone in the bib, reinforced ones for your garden tools, and deep ones for some harvest goodies or egg collecting.
If you want to keep rocking overalls well into the chilly winter months check out Duluth’s brand new Heirloom Gardening Lined Bib Overalls. With the same stretchy, durable fabric, but added soft grid fleece to keep you cozy!
3. Perfect Work Pants for Men and Women
Ever wish you had a pocket in your pants that could stand up to tools? Or had a pair of pants that let you crouch down in total freedom? We can’t say enough about these Duluth Trading Company DuluthFlex Powersquat Work Pants.
They balance strength and durability – with flexibility where it counts – like the knees, crotch, and waist. Plus, they have ample pockets, reinforced knife clips, and a handy D-ring for clipping essentials, too. Available in both Men’s and Women’s.
4. Gardening Gloves
We admit it: We rarely keep our gardening gloves on because most gloves are so thick that we can’t feel the plants and soil. However, we’ll pull on flexible nitrile gloves to avoid prickly weeds and prune. They’re thick enough to protect the skin but not so thick that we can’t feel what we’re doing! They come in colorful shades, which makes them hard to lose! Plus, as of this writing, these Nitrile Touch Gloves are just $4.50 per pair!
5. Garden Shoes and Boots
Most of us wear waterproof clogs in the garden—from Crocs to Sloggers. Some of us will wear short rubber garden boots. Muck Boots are breathable, flexible, light, and durable. They hit all the marks! You can also wear them outside of the garden for dog walks and errands.
Gear for the Gardener
6. Garden Spade and Fork
While we might not buy basic garden tools for an experienced gardener, they’re still an excellent gift for a new gardener or anyone who wants to upgrade the quality of their tools. No more bent spades!
The Fiskars Ergo Garden Tool Set includes a spade, garden fork, and transplanting trowel (great for bulbs) and is very reasonably priced. Their tools are tough and won’t bend, plus they have soft, contoured handles that fit your hand naturally and encourage a neutral wrist position to help reduce hand stress and fatigue. The flat-end pads of the handles also offer a smart way to generate more leverage than is possible with other garden tools.
7. Garden Pruner
Our favorite tool is the FELCO F-2 Classic Bypass Hand Pruner, which cuts through rose branches like butter. Nothing jams it, and you’ll own it forever. It stays sharp, it’s easy to use, and its red handles make it easy to find. FELCO implements cost a little more, but that’s only because they’re the best-quality tools out there—and perfect as a holiday gift for anyone who works in the yard or garden. FELCO has pruners for left-handers, too.
8. Hori Hori Japanese Gardening Knife
The Hori Hori knife is a multipurpose tool that many of our gardeners swear by. If you have garden weeds, it makes hard-to-pull crabgrass pop right out. We also use it to help transplant smaller perennials.
Got hard, dry, or clay soil? The curved blade digs right into the dirt. Need to cut through branches? The serrated edge cuts through with ease. The knife is sharp enough to sever thick roots, ropes, and sticks.
Books for the Garden Lover
9. Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook
A highly rated Amazon best-seller for several growing seasons, the Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook is the perfect companion for every vegetable gardener—even those who have never touched a trowel and wouldn’t know mulch from mud! The practical advice presented demystifies gardening by providing the best, most proven methods for sowing, growing, and harvesting. Take a look inside.
10. Flower Gardener’s Handbook
In anticipation of spring flowers, give your favorite gardener the Flower Gardener’s Handbook! With all of the Almanac’s wit and wisdom at hand, you can have a flower garden that is delightful to behold and easy to maintain. Whether you don’t know deadheading from dormancy or already have bountiful flower beds, you’ll benefit from the timesaving tips, inspiring ideas, and proven techniques in this handbook. Take a look inside.
11. The 2024 Old Farmer’s Almanac
Start the new year right! Long recognized as North America’s most beloved and best-selling annual, The Old Farmer’s Almanac fulfills every need and expectation as a calendar of the heavens, a time capsule of the year, and an essential reference that reads like a magazine. Always timely, topical, and distinctively “useful, with a pleasant degree of humor,” the Almanac is consulted daily throughout the year by users from all walks of life.
As well as the paperback with the hole (a great stocking stuffer!), we also offer a special hardcover edition with 32 supplemental pages, easier-to-read type, and a longer-lasting cover. Every Almanac also includes gardening articles and reference material, too. It’s an excellent gift and collector’s item for the bookshelf. Look inside the 2024 Almanac.
12. The 2024 Almanac Gardening Calendar
Finally, don’t forget about our perennial best-seller, The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2024 Gardening Calendar! Every year, the Gardening Calendar features unique botanical illustrations by our longtime Almanac artist. We never tire of its beauty and clearly our readers don’t either, as it’s been a best-seller for more than 45 years! Look inside the 2024 Gardening Calendar.
Did any of our gardening gift ideas strike your fancy? If you’re a gardener, have you ever received a great gardening gift? We welcome your ideas!
Catherine Boeckmann
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