Gift AlmanacA directory of good gifts

Retirement gifts for gardeners

Gifts for someone with more time for the garden at last.

21 gift ideas here, each with a real shop for your country where we've found one.

Vegetable seed gift collection

In Veggie & fruit growers

A box or tin of easy vegetable seeds is the classic gift for a food grower. Seeds can't be posted across borders, so pick the shop for your country.

Raised vegetable bed

In Veggie & fruit growers

A bed on legs or with a cover means less bending, fewer slugs and possums, and a tidy patch even on a patio. A big gift that's often shared between family.

The home-preserving "bible"

In Veggie & fruit growers

For the grower with too many tomatoes. 400 recipes for jams, pickles, sauces and safe canning, from the makers of Ball jars.

A grow-your-own guide written for their climate

In Veggie & fruit growers

Growing advice only works if it suits the local seasons, so pick the book written for your country.

A fruit tree to plant

In Veggie & fruit growers

A tree that will still be fruiting in twenty years. Live plants only travel within their own country.

Raspberry canes

In Veggie & fruit growers

A row of raspberry canes gives fruit for years. An autumn-fruiting variety is the easiest for a beginner to prune.

An apple tree

In Veggie & fruit growers

A classic gift that marks a birth, a wedding or a new home, and keeps giving every autumn.

A gift-wrapped tree

In Veggie & fruit growers

Arrives wrapped and ready to give, which takes the awkwardness out of posting a live plant as a present.

Starter garden tool set

In New gardeners

A gift-boxed set of stainless steel tools with ash handles, for someone with a new garden and an empty shed. A bigger gift to share between family.

Felco secateurs

In Heirloom tools & tool lovers

Swiss secateurs that professional gardeners use for decades. Every part can be replaced, so they're a lifetime tool.

DeWit hand-forged tool gift set

In Heirloom tools & tool lovers

Forged trowel, fork and cultivator with Dutch ash handles, made to be passed down. A big gift worth sharing.

Haws watering can

In Heirloom tools & tool lovers

Haws have made watering cans in England since 1886. The long spout and fine brass rose give a gentle, even shower.

Copper watering can

In Heirloom tools & tool lovers

Copper ages to a lovely patina and looks good left out on a windowsill or porch.

Personalised trowel

In Heirloom tools & tool lovers

An engraved name or message turns a good trowel into a keepsake.

Easy-grip tools with arm-support handles

In Easy-reach gardening

The handles sit at right angles to the blade, keeping the wrist straight. Designed for people with arthritis or weak grip.

Ergonomic trowel

In Easy-reach gardening

A curved, padded grip that spreads the load across the palm instead of the wrist.

Kneeler that flips into a seat

In Easy-reach gardening

Kneel on the padded side or flip it over to sit, with handles to help push yourself back up. One of the shop's long-time best-sellers.

Back-saver long-handled tools

In Easy-reach gardening

Long handles and stand-up designs mean weeding and cultivating without bending. The AU option pairs a stand-up weeder with a kneeler-seat.

Long-handled bulb planter

In Easy-reach gardening

Plant bulbs standing up. Step on it, twist, and drop the bulb in.

Long-reach cut-and-hold picker

In Easy-reach gardening

Cuts and grips fruit or flowers out of reach, so there's no need for a ladder.

Waist-high planter on legs

In Easy-reach gardening

A planter at a comfortable working height (the Vegepod stand raises the bed to 80cm), so there's far less kneeling or bending. Good for patios and balconies too.