14 Gifts for Gardeners Under $30

My Favorite Gift Ideas for Gardeners for Under $30

The holiday season is approaching, and we're all desperately trying to figure out what to give our loved ones. Here are my favorite gift ideas that you can give the gardener or the wannabe-gardener in your life for less than $30—perfect for gift exchanges or stocking stuffers!

These Tools Are Gifts Gardeners Love But Might Not Buy for Themselves

There are many tools and supplies that I love having in my own garden. My general thinking with gift giving is to find something the person would love to have but might not go out and buy for themselves. These tools fit the bill.

Any (or all) of these tools would make perfect stocking stuffers or look great tied onto a package with a bow. If your gifting budget allows for several tools, you could wrap them all up in some burlap and twine or put them in a harvest basket or cute little terra cotta pot in lieu of a gift basket.

Gift Ideas for Gardeners #1: A Hand Rake

Many of the garden tools sold at stores are too big for use in the kitchen garden. When you're working in a raised bed, you don't need a huge lawn rake. A small rake is such a handy little tool and, again, something a gardener would love to have but might not buy for themselves.

Gift Ideas for Gardeners #2: A Trowel

Every gardener needs more trowels—or at least ones that aren't rusted and caked in decades of dirt. Trowels are useful when planting herbs, flowers, and seedlings in raised beds that are already filled with plants. This transplant trowel has depth markings on the blade so you know exactly how deep to dig each hole.

Gift Ideas for Gardeners #3: Pruners

Pruners are an essential tool of kitchen gardening. Again, kitchen gardeners don't necessarily need large pruners for trimming trees or rose bushes. Needle nose pruners and other small pruners are the ideal tool for working meticulously in small spaces, such as the delicate branches on a pepper plant. Also, pruners can be cleaned, sharpened, and used for a very long time.

My favorite pair of pruners are these bypass pruners. I also love needlenose pruners for pruning and harvesting in tight spaces.

For something under $10, try these mini sharp pruners, which are super easy to handle.

I also love these flower and fruit snips. If the gardener in your life doesn't have a pair of these pruners, she may not know what she's missing out on until her gardening life is fulfilled with this gift.

Gift Ideas for Gardeners #4: Compost Spreader

Whether your giftee makes their own compost or buys bags from the garden center, this super handy tool will help them scoop up and spread compost over their vegetable garden beds. It's also useful for filling pots and planters.

These Gardening Supplies Make Great Gifts for Gardeners of All Levels

These supplies make everyday tending tasks in the garden so much easier.

Gift Ideas for Gardeners #5: Copper Plant Tags

I love the look of copper plant tags like these hairpin-style labels in a garden. These tags are easy to slide in, and you can stick on labels, pull them off after, and reuse the tags season after season.

Gift Ideas for Gardeners #6: Gardening Gloves

My favorite gloves are Bamboo gardener gloves, but any kind of gloves that has rubber or nitrile to protect the hands will work great. Most gardeners could use a new pair of gloves.

Gift Ideas for Gardeners #7: A Set of Terra Cotta Pots

Head to your local nursery and grab a set of terra cotta pots, which gardeners can never have enough of, especially if they like growing herbs. Just wrap a little bow around the biggest pot, and the recipient will be so happy! If you have some extra bucks to spend, grab the draining trays as well.

Gifts for Gardeners Who Have Everything

If the gardener in your life has been gardening for a long time, you might worry they already have everything they need. I've got an idea for something really special that will make each and every harvest extra exciting.

Gift Ideas for Gardeners #8: Funny Gardening T-Shirt

Let your gardener express to the world how they'd rather spend time with plants than people. I get so many compliments (and knowing smiles) when I wear this funny garden t-shirt that says, "Due to personal reasons, I'll be gardening again this weekend." 

Gift Ideas for Gardeners #9: A Vintage Harvest Basket

If you're looking for something really special, a one-of-a-kind gift, visit your local resale and consignment shops to hunt for a great harvest basket. They typically have some great vintage finds in all shapes and sizes. Trugs, wicker baskets, and tobacco baskets all work great.

The Best Gifts for Beginner Gardeners

You can't go wrong with something that encourages them to continue growing their skills, like a book that covers garden planning or planting, or something that gives them ideas what they can do with all the yummy stuff they'll pull from their garden soon.

Gift Ideas for Gardeners #10: Seeds

So many beginner gardeners buy cheap packets of seeds that never sprout. When their gardens fail, they think it's because they don't have a green thumb, so they give up. It took me a while to learn that seed quality really matters. Make those early days in the garden super easy for your loved one by giving them a collection of seeds that were chosen for their quality and ease of growth.

Gift Ideas for Gardeners #11: Gardening Books

Shameless plug: you could give them one of my books. Kitchen Garden Revival is all about building, setting up, planning, and planting a raised-bed kitchen garden that's as beautiful as it is productive. Leaves, Roots & Fruit teaches you how to grow plants by category, starting with easy-to-grow leaves and working your way up to the more demanding fruiting plants.

Other fantastic gardening books include The Beautiful Edible Garden, Vegetables Love Flowers, The Edible Flower Garden, and of course, Square Foot Gardening.

Gift Ideas for Gardeners #12: Garden-Fresh Recipe Books

Another idea would be something like Herb: A cook's companion, by Mark Diacono or another cookbook to help them learn how they can prepare and enjoy herbs and veggies pulled fresh from their space. I recommend this one because it's a cookbook and gardening book rolled into one.

Gift Ideas for Gardeners #13: A Salad Garden

Lettuce plants are perfect for beginner gardeners, and you can boost their gardening confidence and knowledge by giving them a little salad garden ready to grow. Grab a terra cotta pot or a little steel tub that's at least 12 inches wide from the store. Add drainage holes to the bottom if needed. Place a weed barrier cloth or coffee filter over the drainage hole, and then fill the pot with good soil.

I recommend going ahead and planting it with a lettuce mix so that there are little green sprouts when you give this super thoughtful present.

All your giftee has to do is set this little salad container garden in a sunny spot and keep it well-watered. You could even print up little instructions for them to help their garden grow best.

I gave little salad gardens to my kids' teachers, and they were always really excited about their homegrown salads.

(Here's a more in-depth how-to to create a little salad garden to give to someone.)

The Best Gifts for Indoor Gardeners

If your gift recipient doesn't have the space for a garden outdoors, help them bring the garden in with this easy garden project.

Gift Ideas for Gardeners #14: A Bulb Container Garden

Grab a terra cotta pot or a little steel tub, and add drainage holes to the bottom if needed. Place a weed barrier cloth or coffee filter over the drainage hole, and then fill the pot with good soil. Plant this little container with green onions, garlic bulbs, or onion bulbs. This is a great way to give your friend a little piece of the garden that can grow indoors.

Hope These Gift Ideas for Garden Lovers Inspired You!

I hope you have a great sense of what to give the gardener in your life. You don't have to spend a ton of money to have a ton of impact on the people that you want to share the garden with in your own life this holiday season. As always, we have some great finds in the Gardenary shop.

Thanks for helping make the garden ordinary again!