Happy holidays!

Do you have a friend who is a gardener? Of course, you do! Here is our annual look at gift ideas for your favorite gardeners (and yourself).

Plants are always a good gift. Succulents are very popular today. They look charming and may be the easiest of all houseplants to grow. Wrap the pot in a festive bow and your friend will be delighted.

An amaryllis bulb is a great holiday gift. Your friend will be amazed on its rapid growth and fabulous flowers.

Give your friend a tool they will use often. A top-quality trowel, pruners, dibbler or a pocket knife will be appreciated for years. They make great stocking stuffers!

A shovel or hoe isn’t a showy gift, but your friend will dig it (excuse the pun). Ergonomic designs are available that reduce strain on our bodies.

All gardeners need to water their garden at times. A watering wand, lightweight garden hose, or a soaker hose would be appreciated. Watering cans come in all kinds of colors and designs today.  Watering globes will automatically water houseplants when needed—they even look like Christmas ornaments!

Our best tools are our hands. Protect them with a quality pair of garden gloves or perhaps some hand scrubbing lotions.

An avid gardener would love a garden cart to help them move plants and tools around the yard.

Nobody likes pesticides. You can help your friend grow organic food by giving them floating row covers. These lightweight blankets are placed over crops. The covers allow sunlight and raindrops to penetrate through to the plants, but not bugs.

Air thermometers, soil and compost thermometers, and rain gauges provide valuable information to a gardener. Some devices act like miniature weather stations providing temperature, wind and frost warnings. 

Gardeners who start their own seeds would love a heating mat.

Every gardener can use a mason bee house. These native bees are efficient at pollinating fruit and vegetable crops.

If your friend enjoys feeding birds, they may enjoy a hanging feeder or suet feeder to add to their collection. Or perhaps give your bird lover a water heater for their bird bath.

A gnome or other gardening statue may be a risky gift, but such gifts can bring the biggest smiles!

A set of wind chimes or wind bells can be a nice feature in the garden. Every time the wind blows, which is always here in North Dakota, your friend will think of you.

Some gardeners prefer peace and quiet. Your friend may appreciate a set of ear buds to eliminate back-ground noise and provide soothing music while they care for their garden.

Self-watering planter boxes and raised-bed gardens are popular. These planters make gardening easier and less time consuming.

We all need to eat more vegetables and fruits. A juicing machine can help your friend get the servings they need for a healthy diet. A food dehydrator can convert garden produce into delicious snacks.

Five-bladed herb scissors can cut and mince herbs from the garden. 

A personalized sampler of North Dakota honey, jellies or wines is a special gift they will enjoy.

When all else fails, a gift certificate to a local garden center will put a smile on your friend’s face.

Enjoy shopping and have a happy holiday season!

Written by Tom Kalb, Extension Horticulturist, North Dakota State University. The photo was courtesy of Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.