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If anyone is going to find you the best gifts for gardeners, it’s The Telegraph’s dedicated team of horticulturists. This year, we asked expert gardener Sarah Raven to find the best gardeners’ Christmas gifts and she’s come up trumps.
Ranging from tools to seed subscriptions, garden chairs and secateurs, these presents start at under a tenner and none will cost more than £100. You’re almost guaranteed to find something for the gardener in your life. And if that gardener is you, well, here’s your Christmas wish list – courtesy of Sarah. If you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick summary:
Which are the best Christmas gifts for gardeners in 2023? At a glance
- Best overall – Bee Border Cambridge University Botanic Garden
- Best value – Jekka’s herb seed subscription
- Best garden tool gift – Niwaki Secateurs
- Best Christmas gift for women who garden – Scented pelargonium hand cream
- Best Christmas gift for men who garden – Tretorn Terrang boots
Best Christmas gifts for gardeners
1. Bee Border Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Best overall
Sarah says: “Selected to be stacked full of nectar or pollen for bees, this collection of seed from the Cambridge Botanic Gardens are perfect for the beginner gardener/seed sower, whatever age.”
Sarah says: “And if you’re sowing seed, why not continue all year round? Good for chefs and gardeners from the Queen of herbs, Jekka McVicar’s nursery, carefully chosen seed packs of the best, easiest to grow and tastiest varieties are sent out at regular intervals at their best moment for sowing.”
Sarah says: “Light and nimble, for small and chunkier stems, these secateurs are amongst our favourites at home. The tools from this brand are — in my experience — pretty much all fantastic.”
Sarah says: “Made by Cath Kidstone’s new brand, a delicious, rose-pelargonium leaf hand-cream, rich and moisturising, ideal after a day of gardening.”
Sarah says: “Having a system and somewhere to store seeds means we’re more likely to harvest them — and then know where they are when we want to sow again.”
Sarah says: “Flower pressing is a great way of preserving favourites from the garden and has become fashionable again. Frame your pressings on black card for your walls, or go for it and decorate a lampshade.”
Sarah says: “Super comfy socks for wearing with gardening boots in great colours. Really hard-wearing for cosy feet right through the colder months.”
Sarah says: “With our winters and springs increasingly wet, these waterproof notebooks are invaluable for taking notes at home and whilst out visiting gardens.”
Sarah says: “The best multi-purpose tool which we fight over at Perch Hill. Brilliant for planting and weeding — you can hoik out even stubborn taproots weeds like docks and thistles.”
Sarah says: “Life-lasting stainless steel, picking buckets, an invaluable present for anyone who loves harvesting garden flowers. I’ve had mine for 20 years.”
Sarah says: “A beautiful book ideal for beginner gardeners on sowing and growing from seed, plus great tips for excellent arranging.”
Sarah says: “The best value fold-away pruning knife which stays sharp after pretty hard use. Stihl make great, basic, hard-wearing tools.”
Sarah says: “Microgreens are not only extremely tasty, packed with flavour and with a high density of antioxidants and minerals in every leaf they’re good for us too. Even with no garden, you can still grow these.”
Sarah says: “Give either potted or for extra value, bare root is a great way of giving roses. I love this rose with a healthy constitution and long life to ensure it’ll be flowering in a garden this summer and twenty summers from now. Lovely for picking too.”
Sarah says: “Hard-wearing but super comfy and handsome with it, I love these for taking me right through winter with dry feet.”
Sarah says: “And finally, if you’ll allow, a gift suggestion from my own store. Planted and already growing, (in peat-free compost) these are sent out in a pretty, hard-wearing zinc pot to flower for Christmas and fill rooms with their scent.”
Alice Vincent’s best gardening Christmas gifts
Last year, we asked urban gardener Alice Vincent to recommend some affordable Christmas gifts. Since many of them are still available and now even cheaper, we thought we’d include them in this year’s guide.
17. Bamboo cloche
Alice says: “The most stylish way to keep squirrels, foxes and cats off neatly planted pots: this is an absolute bulb-saver over winter. There are a variety of sizes available, and they stack neatly in a shed or patio corner when out of use.”
18. Black Iron Watering Can
Alice says: “Something of a supermodel of watering cans, this is a good gift for those who prove consistently hard to buy for: it’ll look as handsome on a kitchen shelf as it would on a patio table.”
19. Echoes Ceramic Birdbath
Alice says: “This charming glazed ceramic bird bath wouldn’t look out of place on a dining table, but its high-firing means its frost-resistant: perfect to offer feathered friends respite to bathe or drink in - increasingly important as our climate changes.”
20. Hanging chair
Alice says: “This timelessly striped cotton hanging chair looks far more expensive than it is, and folds down neatly for the cooler months. Perfect for those less-inspiring corners, or for those gardens short on space.”
21. Galvanised calendar seed trunk
Alice says: “It’s a rare gardener who finds they’re not out of room for seed-storage, and even those with plenty are unlikely to have a system both alphabetised and mouse-proof. This hardy solution ticks a lot of boxes, and is tough enough to be stored in a greenhouse or shed.”
22. Chiminea
Alice says: “The trend for entertaining outdoors isn’t going anywhere. Ensure warm nights and good vibes with this chic open fire facilitator, which doubles as a barbecue.”
23. Colourful jute twine
Alice says: “Because nobody ever has quite enough of it. Even those who don’t stake or tie-in their plants will find a use for the stuff. Match the colour to the recipient’s personality!”