Christmas gifts for gardeners

Here's my roundup of some of the best Christmas gifts for gardeners you can buy online. I've tried to select things that are unusual, fun, and bound to appeal to fellow gardeners and allotmenteers. I'm still trawling around the sites, so I may add a second instalment if I come up with some more ideas. And do let me know if you have any suggestions to add. Happy shopping!

- This "skeleton" thermometer (right) from Gardenopoly is a much more stylish way of finding out the temperature. It costs £11.99.

- I also love Gardenopoloy's galvanised steel window boxes, from £4.99, and the Tin O'twine with labels (£6.99).

- If you're buying for someone who loves flowers, why not them a beautiful Wiggly Wigglers bouquet, made of local, seasonal flowers. From £32.

- A serious gardener would adore the Organic Gardening Catalogue's Burgon and Ball pruning knife and steel set, £31.95: and the more unconventional gardener might get some inspiration from their Gardening By the Moon Calendar, £11.75.

- If you buy the rather charming pink Haws watering can (£24.95) Harrod Horticultural will donate £1 to the Breast Cancer Campaign. And these pink flowery RHS Digger half-boots (£29.95) aren't really my style, but I can think of a lot of gardeners who would love them - and they'd be a perfect match for the can. The holly version is rather jolly too.

- If it's wellies for pint-sized junior gardeners you're after, you surely can't go wrong with these "monster" boots from GoneGardening (£15.99). I half-wish they did some adult sizes! I rather like this vegetable patch kit at £15.99 from Crocus.

- For the young, ethically-aware gardener who'd look at the flowery wellies above and make a face, what about an Eat More Kale T-shirt, from $23, made by a man called Bo in Vermont?

- And finally, if you're looking for a gift for a wildlife gardener, any Telegraph readers in your life will love GoneGardening's Gothic nest box, £59, made of Forest Stewardship Council-approved wood; if you're looking for something more, well, funky, try the bright and cheerful Funky Bird Boxes, from £12.50. Update: I've also just discovered another marvellous bird box made out of recycled estate agent signs - what a wonderful idea! The details are here.

- If all this sounds rather dull, and you want to really help someone this Christmas, you could do a lot worse than select a gift from the Good Gifts catalogue: there are plenty of gardening-related ideas, including regenerating a meadow for the Woodland Trust, or paying for the training of a budding horticulturalist in Ethiopia.
 

Comments

[Bo]

I think it is very kind of you to suggest my home-made tees (eatmorekale.com) as gifts. I appreciate your time and effort.
That is quite a list you've made. Good work. Take care, Bo from Vermont.

[David L]

I have to plug http://www.hortica.biz/ which is my most exciting recent retail find and just down the road from me. A nice range of mail order items and the shop itself is wonderful. Lots of very classy gardening products, organic seeds and great big bowls of seeds and bulbs suitable for planting immediately (which I thought was a good idea). Got my broad beans, peas, garlic and some tulips a month or so ago. I am hoping that Father Christmas passes by there at some point.

[Jane Perrone]

Ooh, that looks good David ... thanks for the suggestion.

[Annette]

Hi Jane,

Thanks so much for including us in your list of gardening gifts - very much appreciated. And a Merry Christmas to you, and best wishes and good luck with your new book next year!