Gifts for garden lovers
Want to show a green-fingered special someone how much you care? HANNAH STEPHENSON digs out 10 top gifts
Find your way into a gardener’s heart this Valentine’s Day, whether it’s through giving a plant, a pair of gloves, some useful tools or a wealth of other green-fingered gifts. Here are 10 suggestions...
1 PERSONALISED PINK LEATHER GARDENING GLOVES £40, Crocus.co.uk
These luxury gloves are handmade in the UK from soft comfortable leather with protective suede gauntlet – and you can add a monogram or your loved one’s name (up to 10 characters) to make the gift more personal. Also available in brown.
2 COUNTRY GARDEN BOOT WIPER £84.95, Harrodhorticultural.com
If your loved one spends a lot of time in muddy beds and borders or on the allotment, they’ll thank you for this really practical gift, which should help keep the dirt outdoors. Its sturdy steel frame is powder-coated in polyester textured matt black for an elegant finish. It also has a rubber-gripped T handle so you don’t wobble, and two recessed shoe scraping plates to knock the mud off, as well as four black brushes which will clean both the sole and the edge of boots.
3 RHS PRACTICAL CACTUS AND SUCCULENT BOOK BY ZIA ALLAWAY AND FRAN BAILEY £14.99, dk.com (available Feb 7)
If your Valentine’s on point with the continuing cactus craze, then this book will help keep the prickly houseplants going strong. Using expertise from the Royal Horticultural Society, this illustrated plant directory profiles more than 200 cacti and succulent varieties, with instructions on how to grow and maintain each one, as well as inspirational display ideas.
4 SET OF 3 MINI SUNFLOWER HEART TREATS £4.99, Birdfood.co.uk
This romantic gesture will go far with bird lovers, as these high energy sunflower treats contain a lot of calories and are therefore very popular with a wide variety of garden birds – especially during colder months when food is scarce.
5 DE WIT SMALL PROPAGATING TOOL SET currently reduced to £50.99 from £59.99, Crocus.co.uk
This beautiful set of mini hand tools, which are the perfect size for working with delicate seedlings and young plants, come in a beautiful wooden storage box. The tools are made from forged carbon steel and fitted with solid ash ergonomic handles for a comfortable grip.
6 HEART-SHAPED CACTUS from £4.99, Dobbies Garden Centres
The latest Instagrammable gift idea arrives just in time for Valentine’s Day, in the shape of a succulent heart. They’ll create a striking statement for any ‘shelfie’ or coffee table, acting as a daily little reminder for your loved one about how much you care.
7 GIFT TIN – GARDENERS £13.50,
Filbertsofdorset.co.uk
This sweet tin of goodies includes rich beeswax hand salve, which locks in moisture to protect and nourish hardworking hands, blended with uplifting grapefruit and bergamot with healing rosemary and lavender. There’s also a pot of propolis salve with honey, as well as a packet of phacelia seeds to sow and encourage bees and other pollinating insects.
8 GIFT CAMELLIA JAPONICA from £25, Treesdirect.co.uk
If you want a change from roses, a camellia is just as glamorous, producing profusions of blousy blooms in spring, against a backdrop of glossy green leaves. This one comes in red, white or pink, giftwrapped in its sack and tied with red satin ribbon. It also features a handwritten Valentine’s card and planting instructions. Trees are hand-packed in boxes and sent out by overnight delivery to arrive on the customer’s specified date.
9 PERSONALISED RHS SET OF TWO MUGS £22.99, Gettingpersonal.co.uk
This is a perfect gift if you both like spending time in the garden – a pair of personalised mugs for you and your loved one, printed with two names. The set is part of a Royal Horticultural Society collection and can be printed with any name on each alongside the message: ‘How Lovely is The Silence Of Growing Things,’ and, ‘Lost In The Garden.’
10 BURGON AND BALL HOUSEPLANT AND TERRARIUM TOOL SET £9.99, Waitrosegarden.com
Indoor planting continues to be one of the hottest design trends, so now there are mini tools available with which to tend your terrarium and houseplants. This cute set from Burgon & Ball makes the job much easier, even for non-plant experts. Includes two digging and weeding tools and a rake for cultivation.
The narrow heads make them ideal for taking care of smaller plants like succulents and cacti, as well as transplanting offshoots and creating closely planted displays.