Unique Holiday Gifts for Gardeners on Your List

By Pat Dickey, Fairfax Master Gardener
Do you have gardeners among your friends and family and wonder what gift they might like to help make gardening more enjoyable? Here are some gift ideas that are practical as well as thoughtful for the gardeners in your life.

Bee House
Solitary bees will want to make their home in this environmentally friendly bee house. Handcrafted by Jo-Anne and Gerald Warren of Canada, it is designed with copper, recycled paper, stoneware clay and bamboo. Place in full sun and where it is protected from harsh winds and rain. Your gardener will enjoy seeing more pollinators come to the flower or vegetable garden. Tubes should be replaced each year to prevent disease. Bee House $55; replacement tubes, set of 80, $18.
UncommonGoods

Bay Leaf Wreath
Your gardener will enjoy the sweet herbal scent of this bay leaf wreath. It is woven from boughs of the California bay laurel and is shipped directly from a Northern California farm to ensure its freshness. The leaves will dry naturally and can be used for cooking all year long. Hang on a wall indoors or in a sheltered outdoor location. Size: 15 inches; $39.95.
Williams Sonoma

Looseleaf Plus Kale and Herb Stripper
This is a handy ergonomic tool for your gardener. Snip herbs and greens, then strip them all from their stems. A real time saver! The snipper is made of stainless steel. There are graduated holes for different sizes of stems in the stripper. The larger holes will strip kale and collard greens, and the smaller ones are for thyme, rosemary, tarragon, mint and other herbs. Dimensions: 5 inches X 2 ½ inches. $9.95.
Gardener’s Supply Company

Plantable Paper
Paper embedded with wildflower seeds; a perfect gift for a gardener to use for special occasions or communications. The 8 ½-inch X 11-inch recycled paper comes pre-packaged in five colors and can be used for invitations, greeting cards, party favors and more. The wildflower collection includes the annuals: catchfly, sweet alyssum, snapdragon, bird’s eye and clarkia, and the perennial black-eyed susan. There are also other seeded papers available, such as herb and vegetable. After using the paper, plant it in a sunny location instead of throwing it away. Paper can be printed using an ink jet printer, offset printing press, screen printing or letterpress. Do not use laser printers that will kill the seeds. Set of 10 sheets of paper, $20.95.
Botanical Paperworks

Garden Genie Garden Gloves
These clever garden gloves have claws at the end of each finger for digging and planting. Gardeners do not need to reach for other small tools. These gloves that are made of a natural latex rubber-coated material are waterproof and puncture resistant. Nylon knitting on the back allows air to circulate, so hands stay cool and dry. One size fits most men and women. Green gloves with black claws. A fun gift! $9.99
Amazon

Deluxe Tractor Scoot
This scooter allows your gardener to plant, gather crops for harvest and pull weeds in a seated position, lessening back and knee stress. It has a powder-coated, rust-resistant steel frame. The scooter holds a total of 400 pounds. The attached bucket basket holds a 3 ½ gallon tub and up to 40 pounds. An adjustable seat allows for swiveling 180 degrees, and the front wheels steer for easy maneuvering. A handle extends for pulling the scooter, and there is a storage tray under the seat for seed packets and other small items. This little tractor comes in three colors: red, blue and green. $89.95.
Gardener’s Supply Company

WheelEasy Foldable Garden Cart
This handy collapsible yard cart is great for helping your gardener with small projects in the yard and garden. It is great for moving items around, such as collecting small branches after pruning, moving perennials or small shrubs to new locations, planting bulbs and annuals, or when moving mulch or stones to a new area. Drop the handles to the ground for easier loading with no lifting. Just rake, shovel or slide your yard and garden debris into the cart. It holds up to 150 pounds. Made of powder-coated steel with heavy-duty vinyl-coated nylon. $139.95
Allsop Home & Garden