Gift AlmanacA directory of good gifts

Farm tools, boots & workwear

Picked by Riley Lockhart · prices checked 22–24 Oct 2026

Quick answer: Our top picks in farm tools and workwear are a Swanndri wool bushshirt (A$199.99), a rechargeable head torch (A$99.95) and a good pair of gumboots (A$64.99), all under A$200 in Australia. All 18 gift ideas here link to real shops in Australia, the UK and the US, with prices checked 22–24 Oct 2026.

Hard-wearing clothes, boots and useful tools for working outside in all weathers, plus gear for watching the rain and saving water.

Workwear, hats & aprons

A Swanndri wool bushshirt

The classic pull-over wool work shirt from New Zealand. Warm on frosty mornings, still breathes when you're working, and roomy enough to layer over a jumper. Check the size chart; they're cut generously.

An Akubra Cattleman hat

Akubra's classic Australian work hat, built for long, hard days outdoors. A splurge, but a good hat gets worn every day for years. Sold by head size, so find out theirs first.

A sturdy work apron

A tough apron for messy jobs in the shed, the dairy, the garden or the kitchen. The Australian pick is a PVC dairy apron with quick-release buckles that hoses clean; the UK pick is a full-length gardener's apron with two deep pockets; the US pick is heavy-duty, machine-washable canvas.

Swanndri's Black Sheep t-shirt

A black sheep on 180gsm organic cotton, from the New Zealand wool-shirt brand. A fun one for anyone who keeps sheep (or is the black sheep of the family).

A "Grow Like a Hoss" gardening t-shirt

Also in Clothing & comfort (Gardening)

A soft, unisex tee from Hoss, the American garden-tool maker, with its logo on the back. The shop says it's made for wearing around the farm or garden.

Boots & footwear

A boot scraper for the back door

Also in Clothing & comfort › Boots, clogs & boot scrapers (Gardening)

Gets the worst of the mud and chook-yard muck off before boots come inside. A small, practical gift that gets used every day. The UK Poppy Forge scraper is British-made steel with a weighted base, or can be pegged into the ground.

A good pair of gumboots

Also in Clothing & comfort › Boots, clogs & boot scrapers (Gardening)

Dry feet for wet mornings in the garden, the paddock or the chook run. They're made of different things, which matters if the wearer has a latex allergy. Blundstone's Tasmanian-made 001 is PVC/nitrile. Hunter's Original Tall is natural rubber. Muck's Muckster II Mid is a neoprene bootie on a rubber sole that rolls down into a shoe.

Slip-on garden clogs or shoes

Also in Clothing & comfort › Boots, clogs & boot scrapers (Gardening)

Waterproof slip-ons to leave at the back door for quick trips to the veggie patch, the washing line or the chooks, and they hose clean afterwards. Sloggers are made in the USA; the US shoe comes in fun prints, chickens included.

Weather & water

A tap timer for the hose

Also in Water, weather & compost › Tap timers & watering (Gardening)

Screws onto the tap so the sprinkler or drip line turns itself off, and nobody comes back to a flooded bed. The Australian Neta and US Orbit timers are programmable, so they water on a schedule while you're away. The UK Hozelock is a simpler wind-up dial that switches off after up to 120 minutes.

A home weather station with rain and wind

Also in Water, weather & compost › Rain gauges & weather stations (Gardening)

An outdoor sensor sends rainfall, wind, temperature and humidity to a screen inside, so they can check the overnight rain with a cuppa instead of walking out to the gauge. All three measure rain and wind; the US Ambient Weather one also connects to Wi-Fi and an app.

  • AU For shoppers in Australia

    Digitech Digital Weather Station with Monochrome Display clear LCD screen

    A$249.00 at Bourne Electronics

    See it at Bourne Electronics (opens in a new tab)

    Price checked 24 Oct 2026 · Ships to: Australia · Plain link (no commission)

  • UK For shoppers in United Kingdom

    Bresser 7002510 5-in-1 Complete Weather Station with Programmable Weather Alerts

    £116.95 at Weather Shop

    See it at Weather Shop (opens in a new tab)

    Price checked 24 Oct 2026 · Ships to: UK · Plain link (no commission)

  • US For shoppers in United States

    Ambient Weather WS-2902 Home Wi-Fi Weather Station with Wi-Fi Remote Monitoring and Alerts

    US$199.99 at Ambient Weather

    The shop's page data doesn't show stock, so check availability on the page.

    See it at Ambient Weather (opens in a new tab)

    Price checked 24 Oct 2026 · Ships to: United States · Plain link (no commission)

A pretty rain gauge for the garden bed

Also in Water, weather & compost › Rain gauges & weather stations (Gardening)

Useful and decorative at once. The Australian one has a wren perched on a stake; the US one is a spiral with numbers magnified by the glass. The UK stake gauge is hand-blown glass on copper, and the shop says it's a rough visual guide rather than an exact measure.

Around the yard

A Feuerhand oil lantern

The classic Baby Special 276 oil lantern, galvanised against rust. Handy for the power cuts that come with rural life, and lovely on the verandah anyway.

  • US For shoppers in United States

    Feuerhand Galvanized Oil Lanterns

    From US$47.99 at Lehman's

    Prices on the page range from US$47.99 to US$59.99 depending on the option chosen.

    See it at Lehman's (opens in a new tab)

    Price checked 23 Oct 2026 · Ships to: United States · Plain link (no commission)

A pocket knife and tool sharpener

A small sharpener for pocket knives, kitchen knives, secateurs and shears. Lives in the shed or the ute and makes every blunt tool on the place useful again.

A rechargeable head torch

Both hands free for shutting in the chooks, checking on a sick animal or fixing a fence after dark. This Ledlenser model charges by USB-C but also takes AAA batteries, and has a red light that doesn't wreck your night vision. Same model in all three countries.

Raised vegetable bed

Also in Veggie & fruit growers › Raised beds & grow bags (Gardening)

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.

A compost tumbler

Also in Water, weather & compost › Compost tumblers & worm farms (Gardening)

A barrel on a stand that you turn every few days instead of forking a heap, and the lid keeps pests out. Tumbleweed's Australian-made 220L tumbler can sit on pavers or concrete; the US Maze has two chambers, so one side cooks while you fill the other.

A worm farm

Also in Water, weather & compost › Compost tumblers & worm farms (Gardening)

Stacking trays where worms turn kitchen scraps into castings, with a tap for draining off worm tea for the garden. The Australian Worm Café is Australian-made from recycled plastic. Composting worms usually need buying separately, so add a box of worms if you can.

A folding garden cart

Also in Easy-reach gardening › Lightweight hoses & carts (Gardening)

Saves a lot of carrying, whether it's pots, mulch, feed bags or firewood, and folds flat for the shed. The Australian and UK picks are fabric-lined folding wagons; the US one is a foldable wheelbarrow-style cart for yard debris and logs.