This all-in-one basket, stool, and seat, the bamboo garden stool and basket combo, allows gardeners to carry tools, plants, and veggies or turn it over to sit on for weeding or planting. Photo courtesy of Gardener’s Supply Company.

By Melinda Myers
Guest Columnist

Look to the garden when struggling to find the best gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, or other occasions.

A gift of plants, seeds, or gardening tools and accessories provides months and years of beauty and enjoyment.

With so many options it is easy to match the gardening gift to the recipient and your budget. Plants are always a great choice for gardening enthusiasts. Small, more affordable plants are fun for gardeners to tend, nurture, and watch grow. Giving larger plants or unique varieties provide a gift the recipient may be reluctant to purchase for themselves.

Do-it-yourself gardening gifts are good choices for both beginners and experienced gardeners who like the process as well as the results. An attractive container, some seeds or plants, and potting mix is a good place to start. Consider giving a self-watering pot to increase success and reduce maintenance. Add some plant tags your purchase or put your artistic talents to work creating your own.

Melinda Myers

Those who like to cook and garden will appreciate gifts that help them grow their own fresh herbs. Plants and seeds are always a good choice. Combine these with containers like the Provence self-watering planter that is compact and spill-proof for indoors. An elevated garden like the VegTrug herb planter or the VegTrug self-watering herb planter box is a great way to grow, tend and harvest herbs in a sunny spot on the patio, deck or balcony.

For those that like to garden outdoors, containers, stakes, trellises, and tools are always welcome gifts. A tool caddy that holds pruners, plant tags, and other small garden accessories is an easy way to store and transport hand tools to the garden. Consider a cart like the mobile tool storage caddy that allows easy transporting of long-handled tools, space for hand tools, and a basket for other supplies.

Make gardening more accessible with a gift of a kneeler, kneeling pad, or garden bench. Protecting joints and making kneeling and reaching into the garden easier reduces fatigue and extends the time and enjoyment of gardening. The bamboo garden bench and basket offer dual functions, allowing gardeners to sit and weed or easily carry their harvest from the garden to the house.

Vegetable and flower gardeners will appreciate a harvest basket like the garden hod. Hods were originally used by Maine clam diggers to hold and rinse their catch. The oil-finished pine-and-maple frame and food-grade vinyl-covered mesh of the garden hod lets you rinse dirt and debris from veggies right in the garden.

Help your gift recipient bring in the birds with gifts of bird feeders and birdbaths. Adding these items to their landscape can help increase the number and variety of winged visitors. Bird watching and gardening provide enjoyment while also boosting spirit and mood.

Consider adding the gift of time. Help assemble, place or plant the gardening gift. Spending time together makes any gift more special and enjoyable for you both.

Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening and Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2^nd Edition. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and Melinda’s Garden Moment television and radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Gardener’s Supply for her expertise to write this article. Her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.