Holiday gift ideas for gardeners

Holiday shopping for the gardener in your life should be a simple holiday pleasure. There are so many great gift ideas, and best of all, the stores that sell them are not usually packed with shoppers at this time of year. It only takes a little thought to brainstorm a long list of goodies for special people that like to play around in the soil.

There is usually a gift in just about every price range, from under $10 to several thousand dollars.

The first place to shop is the local garden center, where you can pick up new tools such as rakes, shovels and hoes. There is also handheld equipment such as pruners, loppers or saws. Look for ergonomic tools, which are popular and much appreciated, as are garden scissors. Every gardener needs a pair of sharp garden scissors.

Accessorizing the garden is a hot trend. Items that would make great gifts include statues, birdbaths and the ever-popular gazing balls. One of the hottest trends is fairy gardens. If you know a passionate fairy gardener, then your gift options are unlimited.

Winter is also a good time for the gardener to pick up a book on a cold, snowy night. Garden books abound with numerous titles and subjects. There are two types of garden books; those with lots of pretty pictures for dreaming, and those that are instructional. Gardeners tend to favor instructional books, as they want to learn all the how to’s for success.

Gift certificates are also a great idea. What gardener would not like extra cash when spring rolls around and the garden centers are bursting at the seams with colorful plants? Even though a gift card is not personal, it does allow that special person to pick a perfect gift. Tuck one into a pair of garden gloves for a fun holiday surprise.

One word of caution when shopping for the gardener: be careful of mail order deals. Unless you are an educated gardener and know the source of the plants, you could make a poor choice. Many catalogs that do not specialize in garden products have plant-related items offered as holiday gifts. Often these items are over-priced and not appropriate for the Kansas City climate. It is better to purchase gardener gifts locally to avoid this problem.

Diamonds are often marketed as the ultimate gift that says “I love you.” Strike gold with the gardeners in your life by surprising them with that special gift for the garden. It is a sure way to make this a memorable holiday season.

This story was originally published December 16, 2016 at 12:00 PM.