If the first signs of spring have your friends and family aching to dig in the dirt and prep their gardens for the bountiful summer season ahead, a gardening-themed gift may be just the thing to spread a little good cheer. Whether it’s for a birthday, to say thank you or simply for fun, horticulturists — both beginner and well experienced — are sure to welcome new tools, gear or other fun botanical-focused items.
From floral pruning shears to healing hand balms, we’ve rounded up 17 gardening gifts for the plant-obsessed.
Flora Guard 3-Piece Garden Tool Set ($19.99; amazon.com)
Gardening enthusiasts will be happy to add this pretty floral tool set to their arsenal. The handles on this three-piece set, which includes a trowel, cultivator and pruning shears, are ergonomically designed, and the high-carbon steel blades are sturdy and rustproof.
ModParty Plant Lady Hat ($23.99; etsy.com)
Sun protection is key for folks who love to work in the garden. So why not surprise your favorite gardener with a protective — and chic — straw boater hat banded with a black bow and featuring the script words “Plant Lady”? With nearly 1 million sales and a bounty of 5-star reviews, and priced at less than $25, it kinda seems like a no-brainer, right?
WildVioletta Gardener’s Gift Set (starting at $29.95; etsy.com)
Birthday, holiday or just want to say, “Hey, I’m thinking about you”? We’ve got just the gift: This sweet tin filled with gardener’s healing balm and cuticle cream, a bar of organic eucalyptus and tea tree soap and a two-sided natural nail brush comes wrapped with twine and a keepsake silver snail charm.
Workpro Garden Tool Bag ($19.99; amazon.com)
Know a gardener who could use a little help organizing their tools? This cheery bright green tote comes in a durable Oxford cloth material and features six front pockets, two side pockets and inside storage room, perfect for keeping everything in one handy place.
Vgo Kids’ Gardening Gloves ($11.98; amazon.com)
The little ones will be happy to help out in the garden with this three-pack of latex gardening gloves. With a cute bumblebee print and three colors to choose from — blue, purple and green — these gloves get 5-star ratings for comfort, protection and cute style.
Gardener’s Tool Seat ($40; uncommongoods.com)
Gardening can be therapeutic, but it can also be hard on the back and knees. This smart folding chair/tool bag combo helps save your knees while also keeping your tools organized. Made of a steel frame and water-resistant nylon that can support up to 250 pounds, the bag, with 21 pockets and handles, detaches from the frame for even more convenience.
‘The First-Time Gardener: Growing Vegetables’ by Jessica Sowards (starting at $12.99; amazon.com)
Have a friend who keeps talking about starting a garden of their own? Help get them going with this bestselling book by homesteader Jessica Sowards that answers every question from where to put the garden to how to prepare soil to deciding which veggies to plant. Best of all, once your friend harvests their new bounty, you can stop by to sample the rewards.
Gardener’s Harvest Basket ($50; uncommongoods.com)
Customers give rave reviews to this classic wood-and-wire mesh basket — also referred to as a hod — that holds up to 20 pounds of garden bounty. Treated to be hosed down to get rid of any dirt or mud, it can also be used in the winter to carry tinder for your fireplace.
NatureSupplyCompany Gardening Apron ($19.99; etsy.com)
Have a friend who loves to dig around in the yard? Help keep them tidy and looking, well, adorable with this highly reviewed gardening apron that reads “A little dirt never hurt.” In natural or forest green, it features three pouch pockets and waist side ties.
Sunflower Garden Grow Kit ($12; uncommongoods.com)
Looking for a way to brighten someone’s day? This sweet (and affordable) DIY kit includes six heirloom sunflower varieties, ranging from dwarf blooms to the Classic Mammoth, which can grow between 9 and 12 feet. Housed in a clever egg carton package that doubles as a “pot” to sprout them in, it’s a surefire way to bring beauty to friends or family of all ages.
TheFarWoods 3-Year Garden Journal ($25; etsy.com)
Avid gardeners often take notes on not only what they’re planting but also when they plant it and how it grows. This handy journal/planner is organized by day and covers up to three years so you can record and compare temperature, note rainfall and jot down other observations. Toss in beautiful illustrations, and it’s a gift gardeners are sure to treasure.
Northlight Flamingo Garden Lawn Stakes ($21.99, originally $24.99; target.com)
Just the thing to delight a quirky friend, this set of two pink flamingo stakes will bring whimsy to any garden. At 33 inches high, they come with four iron staking rods and are weather-resistant. Can’t get to the tropics? Bring the tropics to you!
Opinel Garden Cutting Tool Trio ($70; bloomscape.com)
Up your favorite gardener’s game with this lovely set of stainless steel and beechwood tools. A green 8-inch folding saw, purple 4-inch garden knife and 4-inch tangerine pruning knife are all included, and each features knife locks to prevent accidents.
UrbanStems The Home Gardener Gift Set ($45; urbanstems.com)
For gardeners who enjoy bringing plants to life indoors as well, consider this lovely set the next time gift-giving is in order. Featuring a flower garden indoor planter kit with a self-watering system and an antique-style white glass mister, it will provide colorful, delicate blooms in no time!
August Grove Machias Watering Can ($21.71; wayfair.com)
Why relegate gardening tools to the shed? This sunny, bright yellow watering can is made of galvanized steel and serves as a decorative planter, as it’s just the right size for potted plants. Displayed indoors or outdoors, it keeps the summer spirit going all year long.
Scuddles Garden Tools Set ($26.99, originally $49.99; amazon.com)
A No. 1 bestseller in Amazon’s garden tool sets category, this eight-piece gardening kit is just the thing for plant novices or those just looking to step up their supplies. Included are a weeder, a trowel, a cultivator, a rake, a transplanter, an 8-ounce spray bottle and a pair of gardening gloves, all housed in a durable tote with plenty of pockets for the new tools.
Style Selections Metal Hopper Bird Feeder ($17.98; lowes.com)
A love of gardening and a love of birds go hand in hand. Treat a friend or family member to this yellow feeder that has a screen design to attract clinging birds as well as those who perch. Finch seed-friendly, it can hold 4 pounds of seeds and will look lovely hanging from a garden-area tree limb.