Top 10 Gardening Gifts for Christmas 2024

At this time of year, there is a list of suggested gifts for gardeners in every newspaper and on every website. It’s likely that we’re amongst the easiest people to buy for, because things are always wearing out or breaking. The trouble with many of these lists is that they aren’t written by people who actually do any work in the garden or have a wonderfully unlimited budget.

In contrast, Garden.Help won’t recommend any gift we haven’t dealt with and tested personally and we aim to stick to a reasonable price range. Obviously, less expensive versions of the products are often available, but beware some of the really cheap options. They tend to be that cheap for a reason and remember the old adage “buy cheap, buy twice”.

If you can’t decide what your favourite gardener would like, there’s always the option of a gift card chosen to suit their preference for, say, roses or fruit trees. It’s well worth checking the website of a relevant company to see what they offer.

The Garden.Help suggested list of gifts includes:

Alpen secateurs

You may not have seen this brand before, but you will have heard of their sister company, Felco. The choice of professional gardeners everywhere, Felco are tough and long-lasting, but on the expensive side. In response to customers, the company have brought out the Alpen range of tools, made to the same high standard, but at a lower price. These Rigi 300 snips are perfect for carrying in your pocket for all those light pruning and dead-heading jobs, as well as harvesting flowers, fruit and vegetables burton-mccall.co.uk

Wilkinson Sword Ultralight Long-reach pruner

The Ultralight range is ideal for anyone who finds conventional tools heavy to work with. They are just as strong and durable, just without the weight. These long-handled pruners are great for trimming overhanging branches or reaching into roses to remove old flowers or dead shoots. They even grab and hold the cut material so you can dispose of it rather than having to pick it up afterwards.wilkinsonsword-tools.co.uk

ClipGloves

These practical gloves come with an aluminium carabiner clip to secure them together when not in use or to your belt or tool bag as you go out in the garden, so it means no more lost gloves! The range is vast and includes the use of materials like bamboo, terry fabric, synthetic leather, cut-proof material and even recycled bottles. Helpfully, they say on the label what the intended use is for each set and the size. These sturdy gauntlets are perfect for dealing with spiky plants like rose or pyracantha, whereas the bamboo weeding gloves allow dexterity for pulling out small weed seedlings. treadstoneproducts.com

Darlac ratchet secateurs

Some pruning jobs require more power than normal secateurs, but are too fiddly for loppers, so that’s where ratchet secateurs are useful. They make cutting through larger shoots 30% easier by cutting in stages and multiplying the pressure. Designed with a curved anvil to trap the branch, they have coated blades for easier cutting and also rust-resistance. The cutting blade is carbon steel and can be sharpened when necessary with the Darlac fine-grade diamond sharpener. darlac.com

elho vineyard pots

Sustainable plant pot producer elho are always on the lookout for ways to recycle waste materials and their latest range makes use of waste plastic from French vineyards. The rich pot colours are inspired those of the grapes and red wine. Available in a wide range of sizes, other elho ranges include Ocean plastic and coffee waste, so you can choose a pot to suit your decor safe in the knowledge you are helping with the recycling of an otherwise waste material as well as having a very attractive, useful pot. elho.com

Town & Country Premium Leather Gauntlets

Made from ultra-soft leather and suede, these gloves are strong enough for all the thorny jobs around the garden, but are supple enough for comfort and dexterity. The gap between glove and sleeve is usually the place where you get the most scratches, especially pruning roses, pyracantha or blackberries. The long, gauntlet shape gives this part of your arm full protection while you work. As with most ranges, these are available in sizes to suit everyone. townandco.com/products/gloves/premium-leather-gauntlet/

Seedball Happy Christmas Mini Tins (set of 6)

Seedball produce a range of wildflower products to boost the availability of pollen and nectar for insects. The balls are formed of clay and peat-free compost, and contain up to 100 seeds, depending on variety, along with chilli powder to deter slugs and snails from eating the seedlings. This set includes six colourful mini tins, each containing 5 seed balls with approximately 30 wildlife-friendly seeds from a mix of common toadflax, cornflower, cowslip and many more. Simply scatter the seed balls on soil or compost, water them and watch them grow. An ideal way to get round gardeners growing. seedball.co.uk

King’s Seeds starter sets

Every gardener has to start somewhere and King’s Seeds of Kelvedon, Essex have come up with a brilliant range of starter sets to use as a launch pad. Established as growers and seed producers since 1888, King’s know a thing or two about selection, so you can trust these varieties to grow - as long as they are cared for. The range is wide and includes a Vegetable garden/Allotment set, Greenhouse set, Children’s Starter set, Cottage Garden Perennials set, Edible Flower set and Tasty Salad Leaves Collection.

Kent & Stowe hand tools

A good set of hand tools is essential in every garden, for working in pots or raised beds, or doing the fiddly tasks like weeding and seed sowing. A trowel and hand fork are the tools to start off with, but then you may find you need something a bit more specialised. This stainless steel Widger is slender enough to remove the deep roots of individual weeds like dandelions or transplant your young vegetable seedlings into a hole deep enough for their roots. The stainless steel Dibber makes light work of sowing or transplanting, especially in a raised bed. marshallsgarden.com

Westland Houseplant Feed

Indoor plants are very popular for the way they can enhance the air and your mood. Many are sadly neglected in terms of feeding and this will show in a slowing of growth, pale colouration and a lack of flowers. Plants that are in pots rely entirely on you for their water and food, so you will see a huge improvement in how they look if you look after them. Many companies produce food for indoor plants, but the beauty of the Westland range is that the bottle releases a measured dose of food. Simply hold the bottle upright, squeeze it and an amount of liquid rises into the cup at the top. Tip this into a small watering can, add water and apply it. No need for measuring cups and no mistakes! gardenhealth.com