Due to a mistake in our blog scheduling, we’re a bit late in posting our 2024 Mother’s Day Gift Guide. While we’re a bit sorry about this, we figure this is a good chance to provide some guidance for last minute Mother’s Day gifts for our American readers. These can be general spring gifts for gardeners if a loved one’s birthday is coming up, if you want to get ahead for Father’s Day, or if you just want to give the gift of gardening. Regardless of the reason, gift-giving is always special so here are some suggestions for garden gifts from your friends at Gardzen!
A Quick Note About Gift Giving and Gardeners
We know that there’s a long-standing social convention that says we shouldn’t give women in general (and wives and mothers in particular) practical gifts. This hearkens back to the days when most women were homemakers and clueless husbands would give them the “gift” of a new vacuum cleaner or similar household appliance. Clearly, those aren’t really gifts or a celebration of your feelings for the other person. Garden gifts are different—or at least we feel that they are. If someone in your life has a passion for gardening or you want to introduce them to the hobby, feel free to give them something they can use and enjoy!
Now, on to the gift ideas . . .
Gift Ideas for Gardeners on Mother’s Day . . . or Any Day
We know this is a busy and hectic time for many people, so we’ve tried to put together a list of gifts that will fit a wide variety of circumstances and needs. Here are some of our suggestions—feel free to use them for inspiration, mix and match them, or customize them as you see fit!
- Flowers, flowering plants, and flower bulbs all make great garden gifts at any time of the year, but especially so in spring and early summer. In giving someone bulbs, flowers, or better yet a flowering plant in a container, you’re giving them some gardening joy that will brighten up their day and potentially provide beauty for years to come. We recommend doing a bit of detective work and subtly finding out what sorts of flower or plants they’re interested in, but they’ll be delighted with any thoughtful choice.
- On a more practical level all gardeners need more containers—and not the cheap plastic kind that seedlings often come in. Good durable containers, either practical or decorative, make a great gift for either an established gardener or a newcomer to the world of gardening. They’re flexible, work in most garden spaces, and come in a variety of sizes and styles to fit every need.
- Sometimes the best gifts are things money can’t buy, and the gardener in your life might appreciate some help with garden chores or relief from other duties so that they can go gardening. This is especially true for your friends who are young moms—little kids take up a lot of time and energy so offering to babysit so they can enjoy their garden time might be appreciated. Likewise, you can volunteer to weed, rake leaves, or do some of the other mundane garden chores so that they can enjoy the “fun” parts of gardening.
- It’s a truth universally accepted that a gardener must want more garden tools, and these make great gifts that are also flexible—you can pick out the individual items that your gardener needs or wants most. Alternately, you can volunteer to clean, sharpen, and maintain their existing garden tools. This relieves them of a chore and frees up time for working with their beloved plants.
- While it’s a little cliché, gift certificates for their favorite seed supplier are a great and much-appreciated garden gift. So many gardeners spend more than they plan to on seeds every year, and the gift of seeds is always appreciated. With a gift certificate they can pick out the seeds they want and reap the rewards all season long.
We hope this short list helps get you started—we intend these to be both good ideas in and of themselves and the inspiration for your own creative gifts. Regardless of what you’re celebrating, we’re glad you’re sharing and celebrating the joy of gardening with those you love. And for the mothers out there—Happy Mother’s Day from your friends at Gardzen!
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