The Best (Strategist-Approved) Gifts for Gardeners

If your gardener doesn’t have a pair of pruners, the F2 model from Swiss company Felco — ourbest-in-class pruner— would make a fantastic gift. The pruners are the industry standard: According to Kurt Morrell, the VP of landscape operations at theNew York Botanical Garden, “A good gardener or horticulturalist anywhere in the world is most likely going to have a pair of Felcos.” (They also have a model for lefties and the slightly more compact F6, both below.)

These hedge shears by Okatsune, also the maker of a favoritelatch-lock pruner, would make a great gift for any gardener who avoids the chainsaw and prefers an analog approach to hedge-trimming. They have a steel blade that holds an edge well and white oak handles.

I’m a huge fan of these small, supersharp Japanese iron herb shears — they’re very beautiful and very practical, and I use them almost every day. The fine point is especially useful for snipping herbs from mysmart garden.

This is a great starter tool set for the novice gardener who’s ready to transition from cultivating indoors to outside. Strategist contributorJoseph Truini, a gardener for four decades,recommendsit — especially the measured transplanting trowel, which is useful for planting bulbs.

Ahori horiis a Japanese all-purpose gardening knife with a million uses. “It works as a spade, a knife, a fork, a weeder, a scissor for roots,” says magazine editor turned Hudson Valley craftspersonDeborah Needleman. “It’s small enough to carry around easily.”

We wrote about the rise of theartisanal brooma few years ago. (“People tend to ask, ‘Are your brooms sculptures or tools?’” broom-maker Erin Rouse told us. “A nice broom is right at the intersection.”) These double brooms are made to order (and can be customized!), so plan a few weeks ahead.

A butcher-favoriteFrench pocket knifewith a curved blade and tiny brush designed specifically for harvesting and cleaning mushrooms — handy if your giftee is aforager.

The CobraHead is a tool that can tackle anything, from weeding to planting furrows and prying out rocks. “I ordered it on impulse, and it has quickly become indispensable,” says Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio. “Probably its greatest strength is its literal strength — it’s a very solid hook that will lift out whatever plant is bothering you by the roots.”

This red steel hoe from Johnny’s Selected Seeds is great for digging and removing weeds. Dan Colen, artist and founder ofSky High Farm, a sustainable farm in the Hudson Valley,swears by it: “The blade is sharp; the grip is comfortable,” he says. “Without it, I’d be down on my knees pulling things out of the ground or throwing my back out, which I do all the time regardless.”

These Japanese pruners are smaller and lighter than the Felco F2 and better for precise work on flowers or more delicate plants. “They are kind of my universal tool,” saysMarc Hachadourian, director of glasshouse horticulture and senior curator of orchids at the New York Botanical Garden.

This citronella-basedinsect repellent is highly effective andsmells so good that Strategist contributor Aleta Burchyski’s husbandoccasionally wears it as cologne.Itcomes in handy during the summer months to keep mosquitoes at bay.

Here are a few recommendations from the Strategist’s residentbug-biteexpert, Lauren Ro. (“Mosquitoes have loved to feast on my blood for as long as I can remember,” she writes.) The Bug Bite Thing is an inexpensive tool that can be used to suck the irritating venom out of a bite, preventing it from turning into an itchy welt.

For keeping mosquitoes awaybeforethey can bite, Ro likes Thermacell’sportable repeller.

And if youreallywant to splurge, Thermacell’s LIV system is the only large-areamosquito-repelling toolto consistently work for Ro. “It completely changed my family’s relationship to our backyard,” she says.

Overalls are a gardener’s uniform for a reason: They’re durable, comfortable, and have plenty of compartments to store tools. Katie Parks, who documents her Northern California gardening on her Instagram,Freckles and Sprouts, is a fan of these ripstop nylonDuluth overalls: “They have loads of pockets on the legs, on the front, a pocket for knee pads to be inserted into, and even a small harvest pocket that is detachable,” she says.

We’re also big fans of Patagonia’s sturdy canvas duck overalls, which come in a wide range of sizes and inseam lengths.

Because “Australians make the best summer hats,”writes Strategist writer Kat Gillespie. This cotton canvashat from Alpha60, a brand “beloved by stylish Melburnians,” offers great sun protection and comes in black, tan, and navy.

A T-shirt to declare their love of native biodiversity and enmity toward monoculture lawns.

The Muckster II topped ourranking of garden boots, with high marks for durability, flexibility, and comfort. “These are my go-to shoes whether I’m in my garden,walking my dog, or doing the school run,” says ecologist and botanist Becky Searle.(The brand also makes anugly-chicslip-on, below, which comes inblackandolive green.)

For plants that require a lighter touch, they’ll appreciate an alternative to thick gardening gloves. Hachadourian, theNew York Botanical Garden’s director of glasshouse horticulture and senior curator of orchids, says that most gardening gloves cause him to “lose the sense of touch that lets me feel the difference between a weed and a real plant.” These are thin enough to preserve a finer sense of touch. Plus they’re colorful, so “when you take them off and put them down, you don’t lose them,” he says.

If they tend a garden, chances are they have afavorite spotto sit and admire it. This powder-coated-steel bistro set is cute and durable and folds up with a small enough footprint for city gardens.

Vego Garden’s raised beds were first enthusiastically recommended by Kate Anello, backyard gardener and sister of former Strategist writerChloe Anello. The beds are easy to assemble and modular — plus, the delivery box is compact enough to be wrapped as a gift.

Anart-historicalbronze bell that gets only more beautiful with age. If you’d like to shop around, you can sample the different bell tones on the Cosanti website.

For their garden picnics, gift them a waterproof gingham blanket thatlooks more expensive than it is…

… Or a splurgy but very cutepicnic blanketfrom Baggu that comes in a ton of seasonal patterns.

Give your horticulturalist the gift of bird visitors with this cedar hanger, which can serve as a birdbath or feeder.Birder Juita Martinez recommendsinstalling an open-platform feeder like this one because it can accommodate birds of any size.

This solar-powered device is like a Ring doorbell that allows you to keep tabs on your neighborhood birds. Strategist fitness writer Jeremy Rellosa gifted it to his family, andit’s been a huge hit: “Our family group chat started to feature more updates about birds than humans,” he writes. (It’s also a favorite ofauthor and birder Amy Tan.)

This raised-bed planter makes a great gift for a gardener with limited space. Suitable for indoor use (or out, if they have a balcony or roof), it’s self-watering, which means their plants will be fine even if they forget about it for a few days.

This modular piece from designers Chen Chen and Kai Williamstops our listof status planters. It has a smooth porcelain finish and — important for gardeners who may doubt the functionality of fancy planters — integrates a drainage saucer into its design. “That imperceptible drainage tray gets me every time,” saysSight Unseenco-founder Jill Singer. “It’s basically a sexy workhorse planter.”

For something zippier (and less expensive), I love the Strata planter by artist Simone Brewster, which comes in a few shapes and colors. (There’s also avaseversion.)

There are many copycats of the Modernica Case Study planter out there, but plant people say the original is best for its craftsmanship and aesthetic. Darryl Cheng — the Canadian “plantfluencer” behindHouse Plant Journal— counts it among theinsider goodshe and other gardening-content creators endorse.

The watering can from British brand Haws, which has manufactured watering cans since 1886, has acult followingamong serious horticulturists (including Martha Stewart) and is an heirloom item any gardener would be thrilled to receive. It has a gleaming copper finish and a nozzle that puts forth an even flow of water to “simulate a very gentle rain,” according to Cheng.

These ingenious terra-cotta stakes are a gift that keeps on giving — they’ll help your gardener keep plants alive when they go on vacation, or make watering a hard-to-reach pot much easier. Yang has been using them since 2014: “They release just the right amount of water into the surrounding soil — when your soil gets drier, more water passes through the terra-cotta.”

Australian company Hoselink makes “an exceptional hose,”according to Timothy HammondofBig City Gardener. This model is retractable, cutting down on time spent coiling and detangling.

Or you can upgrade their watering system with this aesthetically pleasing hose, also free of BPA, lead, and phthalates. It’s recommended by Lauri Kranz, founder of garden-planning and organic-food-delivery serviceEdible Gardens LA, who uses it for produce and edible plants.

An inexpensive gift that will change their life. This two-pronged probe measures soil moisture, pH, and sunlight to take some of the guesswork out of growing.

If they want a sturdy compost bin that’s still cute, they’ll love Bamboozle.Strategist contributor Ruth Barongives it high marks for both aesthetics and functionality: It’s used by other “hot, environmentally conscious New Yorkers.” It comes in a dozen colors, and despite its lightweight footprint, it’s sturdier than it looks.

If they tend a vegetable garden, consider giving the gift of fermentation — this kit has everything you need to pickle cucumbers, make kimchee, or any new recipes they invent.

Ourbest-in-class outdoor compost tumbler, this durable, weather-resistant composter will help them convert their kitchen scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer.

If the gardener in your life looks at a decomposing pile of compost with fascination rather than disgust, may I suggest giving them worms?Grow Your Soilauthor Diane Miesslerrecommendsthis vermicompost system — the finished product of “rich compost writhing with red worms brings joy to most gardeners,” she says. (Pair with red wigglersfrom our preferred worm retailer, below.)

Herbs are notoriously hard to keep alive indoors. Save your urban gardener the hassle with ourbest-in-class smart garden— it’s self-watering and has a built-in grow light, which is especially handy in a kitchen that may not get consistent sun.

If they’re getting into hydroponics (or just need to supplement dim natural light), this full-spectrum grow light is powerful and adjustable, and it comes with a timer. It’s recommended by Krissie Nagy, the owner of landscaping companyBK Bumpkin, andGrow Roomowner Lindsey Arnell.

One of my favorite plants to gift an experienced gardener is an angel-wing begonia — it’s hardy and unique, and it can grow to animpressive size.

If your gardener is also a birder, a recommendation from wildlife biologist Danielle Belleny: Enter their Zip Code inAudubon’s Native Plant Databaseto find native plant species and which birds they attract. Buy a pack of seeds and wait for a bird-filled springtime.

Or, if you truly don’t know what your gardener wants to grow next, get them a gift certificate to Park Seed. The company is one of the country’s oldest and largest mail-order seed operations and was recommended by recently retiredgardeners.

Thisexpert-recommended fertilizer, derived in part from seaweed, is a good all-purpose formulation for common leafy houseplants and is water-soluble so can be used for hydroponic growing. It’s my favorite fertilizer to use at home — it perked up a prayer plant that had been at death’s door — and it’s a favorite of carnivorous-plant growers(just dilute it to a weaker solution than is listed on the container).

A gift membership to their local botanical garden — for example, in the New York metro area, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden — makes it easy for gardeners to seek respite in nature and get inspiration for their own plantings. The BBG membership is also “well worth it for skipping the line,”according toPowerHouse Books founder Daniel Power.

Gift them the book sometimes referred to as the “Bible of fermentation.” The book “contains a lot of general knowledge of all the different fermented products of the world in a very relaxed manner and helps you understand how you might be able to start making all of your fermented projects,” sayschef Dave Park, who recommends the book for beginners. (Once they’ve mastered the basics, you can also give themThe Noma Guide to Fermentationfor recipes from theaward-winning restaurant.)

Isabella Tree’s memoir of “rewilding” a 3,500-acreWest Sussex farm makes a great gift for a gardener who enjoys watching the complex ecosystem in their backyard change over time.

If they’re curious about what kind of plantings the landscape designer of theHigh Linehas at home, they’ll love this book. It contextualizesPiet Oudolf’s family gardenin the Netherlands, which they have been cultivating for over three decades.

This book on rare foods, by BBC food journalist Dan Saladino, “acts as both a guide and a warning: If we don’t protect and honor food diversity and the people protecting it, we’re at risk of losing it for good,” writes Strategist writer Tembe Denton-Hurst in our guide to thebest giftable books for dads.