Useful gifts for the gardener in your life

1. Engraved personalised slate plant marker, £9.99, Getting Personal (gettingpersonal.co.uk)

WHETHER you’re buying for a beginner, a keen allotment holder or a horticultural expert, there are Christmas gifts out there for every gardener. Here are eight of the most tempting.

Made from natural slate, covered in a waterproof lacquer, this enchanting slate plate marker will create a pretty focal point at the front of a flower bed or nestled into a large pot. The sign can be personalised with a surname (up to 15 characters) to read “Bees & Butterflies Welcome In The (surname) Garden”.

2. Cactus collection, £12.99, Crocus (crocus.co.uk)

The cacti craze looks set to continue well into 2019, so if your loved one likes to be on point style-wise with their indoor space, treat them to a collection of these spiky low-maintenance house plants, which can be grouped in singular funky pots or mixed in a larger container for a more eye-catching display. And you’ll hardly ever need to water them.

3. Garden gloves, £15, Marks & Spencer, in store or online at marksandspencer.com

These pretty gardening gloves make the ideal stocking-filler for your green-fingered friend or family member. Adorned with a lovely floral print, they are made from a strong, tough leather and cotton combination, perfect for protecting yourself while weeding or tending to your flowers and vegetables.

4. Can You Dig It? Gardener’s hand care duo, £39, Crabtree & Evelyn (crabtree-evelyn.com)

Give tired hands some TLC with this botanic hand care gift set, including soap with clarifying cucumber, antioxidant-rich rosemary leaf and soothing aloe leaf juice, and hand therapy formulated with skin superhydrators, macadamia seed oil and shea butter, to help replenish lost moisture.

5. Gardeners’ hamper, various prices, Dobbies Garden Centres (dobbies.com)

This is perfect as a personalised gift for gardeners, as you create your own hamper, putting in gloves, small tools, books and delicious goodies, plus anything else that takes your fancy and you think the gardener you’re giving to will enjoy. The price will depend on what you put in the hamper and

once you’ve chosen your gift box or wicker basket, the garden centre will add the filler and wrap it with a beautiful bow and gift tag for free.

6. British Bloom pruner and holster set, £19.99, Burgon & Ball (burgonandball.com)

British Bloom is a striking combination of designs featuring early 19th-century illustrations, and watercolours dating back to the 1630s, selected from the RHS Lindley Library. The RHS-endorsed pocket pruner carries a 10-year guarantee and features soft-grip handles. The holster features the eye-catching British Bloom design, finished with grey trim, ideal to slide on to a belt for gardening on the go. Presented in a letterbox-friendly gift box which you can send by post.

7. Aquarium, £249.99, Hozelock (hozelock.com)

If your loved one has always wanted a water feature which won’t take up much time, space or energy, check out the Hozelock Cyprio Aquarium, which takes the inconvenience out of installing a pond. The above-ground unit has side-viewing windows to allow you to observe your fish and can be easily installed, even on a roof terrace. The makers say it will only need one person to assemble it, with a “twist and lock” system.

8. White lilac and rhubarb charity home candle, £47, Jo Malone (jomalone.co.uk)

A mixture of delicate floral and fruity notes bring the scent of the garden indoors with this latest addition to Jo Malone’s charity candle collection. For each charity home candle sold in the UK, the company will make a donation equal to 75 per cent of the price (less VAT)

to support individuals and families affected by mental health problems, through dedicated projects with charities.