Today we’ve handpicked some garden-themed gifts for you: fun dishes, great tools, some charming floral bedding. Plus, more gifts for plant lovers — including some very good-looking watering cans.
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| Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter; illustration by Con McHugh for NYT Wirecutter |
It’s spring. Let’s hang in the garden, shall we? |
 | By Samantha Schoech Samantha is a writer focusing on gifts. She spends her time finding things that combine quality, beauty, usefulness, and delight. |
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Now that spring has really and truly sprung here in San Francisco — poppies popping, wind whipping off the Pacific, and my allergies ablaze — you can find me in my small backyard with my hands in the dirt. Mostly I’m pulling winter’s carpet of weeds, but I’m also planting cheerful pots of annuals, fertilizing, fighting with gophers, pruning suckers and deadwood, and generally shaking off the last four months of neglect.
I got my gardening genes from both sides — my mom’s a putterer like me, and my dad is a former-landscaper-turned-Japanese-gardening-supply-importer — and I have absorbed what I know mostly through osmosis. But when I need expert help on a specific issue or plant, I turn to the North Star of gardening from the Rockies to the Pacific, The Sunset Western Gardening Book. Anyone trying to grow anything in this part of the country should own this invaluable manual (and perfect housewarming present). My own copy has a split spine, soil-stained pages, and a case of mildew from living in the garage with the rest of the gardening supplies, which is exactly how it should be.
I may be biased, but when it comes to spring gift-giving moments — whether that’s Mother’s Day, May birthdays, or a baby shower — why not lean heavily into the season: florals, plants, and truly special gardening gear? And for those who don’t like to muck about in the yard, but still appreciate the results, there are lots of garden-adjacent gifts that evoke the excitement of spring but don’t require getting dirty. I’ll sow a few of my ideas here:
- Keeping with the ecosystem vein, this new kids book is all about “green superheroes.” It has beautiful illustrations and graphics showing how nature’s “smartest, strongest, and sneakiest plants” survive, thrive, and contribute to their environments. An inspiring gift for the budding gardener.
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- For a slightly groovier vibe, these mix-and-match sheet sets made of a lightweight Indian cotton and printed with bold and bright floral designs could be perfect for a boho-leaning teen or anyone in love with pattern and color. They can be combined with other sets to create floral jumbles that feel a bit like sleeping in a springtime meadow in the 1970s.
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- And for the more serious gardeners on your list: This double-edged hand weeder is excellent for loosening soil and cutting invaders off at the roots. For the precipitation nerds, this rain gauge, accurate enough for the National Weather Service, is not only useful, but kind of fun for tracking rainfall. And, of course, a sharp pair of pruners, which every gardener needs.
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- As for actual plants, you could go the seed route with these bundles of themed organic seeds — Herbal Teas, Prepper’s Survival, and Salsa Fiesta to name a few. Each pest-proof tin box comes with 10 seed packets. Or, for the already sprouted, I’ve had good luck with trees from Plants by Mail.
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- Finally, I must mention my favorite sun hat, because I don’t go out to the garden without it. It has a cinching chin strap to keep it in place, a wide brim that provides ample sun protection and, most importantly, a flat brim that doesn’t interfere with my sightline. Just don’t try to crawl under the bushes with it on.
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More of our favorite gifts for your favorite gardeners→
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 | The best places to buy plants onlineSend your recipient a new green friend. This service we love has a colorful selection of chic ceramic planters to choose from, too. |
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More gifts for plant lovers |
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What to give: A very low-key bride? |  |
My friend is having a low-key wedding on short notice. No bridesmaids, no showers, no bachelorette, and no registry. It feels wrong to show up emptyhanded; what does one bring to a sort of shotgun wedding? — J.M.
From gifting expert Mari Uyehara:
One of the best weddings I ever attended was a DIY-er in Finland. We picked wildflowers for the centerpieces, ate a home-cooked meal at mismatching tables, and danced until dawn while friends DJed in a barn.
Since your friend seems to value camaraderie over the wedding industrial complex, ask to pitch in if you can. Offer to pay for a delivery to help stock the bar, order Costco wedding garlands or their famous sheet cake, or dole out instant cameras and film packs to other guests for candid snaps.
If that’s not feasible, then look to modest whimsy over space-hogging registry standards. For goofier types, you could make Funko Pops in the likeness of the couple, or have them illustrated and framed in their favorite cartoon. On the more buttoned-up end, you could get them a custom house portrait, personalized Champagne minis to pop open on anniversaries, or make an album of them with crowdsourced photos.
As for dressing up cash, I love these exquisite pop-up cards (like the rose and fuchsia designs). Don’t sweat it too much. What may be most vital is just showing up in a good-time outfit with immaculate vibes.
Have someone who’s impossible to shop for? Submit your question here.
One last gift (for you): Elevate a stray bloom or blossom with the help of these on-sale fluted glass vases. With slightly frilly Victorian edges, they’re almost guaranteed to mesh with anyone’s decor.
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