Gift Ideas for Gardeners 2.0

December 18, 2023 - Featured, The Garden - Comments: 
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Last year, WestSound Magazine’s November/ December issue published an article on gift-shopping for your gardening loved ones. The article shared nursery staff recommendations for plants and tools. This year, we’ve included some updates and new stops for your garden-related shopping.

Crazy Hill Garden & Botanicals

This relatively new nursery has plants and local art. Co-owner Michael Kerkes suggests glass flowers as a gift, “because in the winter, those are gorgeous.” He also recommends live plants. Other ideas are memberships to local garden clubs and visits to local public gardens such as Rhododendron Species Garden in Federal Way, Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, Heronswood in Kingston, Lakewold Garden in Lakewood and Albers Vista in Bremerton. Additionally, if you want to get someone an early Christmas gift, Crazy Hill Garden & Botanicals offers live, potted Christmas trees.

The Brothers Greenhouses

Are you the gardener reading this article?

If you’re not very good at dropping hints, just print this article, highlight the appropriate lines in it, and leave it where a prospective gift-giver will see it.

The Brothers Greenhouses offers fiscally practical, artistic and musical gifts. The staff recommend fairy house merchandise as charming gifts. Customers also use glassware goods as terrariums. The glassware works as a centerpiece, too, and adheres to natural curves and divots with the wood bases some perch on. Lastly, you can bring ear-catching sounds to your yard with the wind chimes from The Brothers Greenhouses, priced around $45 to $600. Items from the fairy garden collection are best for lower budgets. In addition, many young gardeners adore them, as they are like toys and figurines for the outside.

Bremerton City Nursery

Speaking of making terrariums, Bremerton City Nursery’s Theresa Dreaney suggests “terrarium stuff” and mugs. “I would say some of our most popular things are boxed mugs,” she says. Dreaney explains that the mugs are animal-themed and have matching boxes. The boxes are adorable and can be reused as gift packaging or as a decorative place to hold items. “They’re just really cute,” she says. Additionally, Bremerton City Nursery has gardening merchandise for kids.

Valley Nursery

Justin Robbins, who is part of the staff at Valley Nursery, recommends gift ideas such as gloves, house plants and pruners. Other possibilities include custom clippers, gloves for dusting your plants and grow lights that attach to the plants. He also offers advice if you don’t know what to choose: Purchase a gift card. Gift cards are not impersonal, Robbins says — they allow the recipients to get what they most need or want. They can buy themselves a present that was from you. Buy a gift card at the nursery closest to your loved ones for their convenience, and they can use it to check off their wish list.

Bay Hay & Feed

Bay Hay & Feed’s Stephanie Sauerman says that the Hori Hori tool is “great for weeding and dividing.” She thinks that it’s a well-rounded tool for plenty of garden projects. Of course, folding hand saws and pruners are wonderful, too, which is something Bay Hay & Feed has in common with Valley Nursery. The best brand is Felco, Sauerman says. Tools could be the perfect choice for a gardener.

Bainbridge Gardens

In addition to a variety of house plants and gift items, Bainbridge Gardens offers an extensive variety of Japanese tools, low-profile grow lights for indoor gardens and unique gardening knee pads.

When you go shopping for Christmas gifts, keep your eyes peeled for nurseries. Gardening friends and family enjoy nursery gifts. Good luck.