For this post, we’re curating gifts for those who love to be outside growing food as much as inside cooking it. These gifts will have your loved ones looking forward to spring!
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A good pair of pruning shears. Communications Manager Amy Bissinger loves these Colorpoint compact pruners she picked up at a local garden center, and bonus—they come in fun colors! They’re the perfect size for snipping salad greens or deadheading flowers. Find the pair that fits your hand and works best for the gardening you do most.
- A kneeling pad. These are easy to find at just about any garden center, and they’re a real lifesaver when you’re down on the ground weeding, planting annuals or seeds, or repotting plants.
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Tubtrugs! These are just fantastic, and Amy has these in all sizes and colors. “I use them for everything; it’s rare that I go into the garden without one. The small ones are great for picking vegetables in my small garden, and I use the bigger ones in the yard for deadheading and weeding.” To clean, hose them off and hang them to dry.
- A trowel with a serrated edge. Amy found hers at a local hardware store and it’s now her go-to trowel for any planting. “That serrated edge makes planting in an established bed really easy, as you can slice through roots and compacted soil with ease.”
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Organic seeds. You can sometimes find these at garden centers, and there are many online stores that offer only organic seeds or a good selection of organic seeds. Amy recommends Seeds of Change and Renee’s Garden (the Persian cucumbers are amazing!); other options include the Sustainable Seed Co., The Natural Gardening Company, and All Good Things Organic Seeds.
- Melon cradles. These plastic cradles keep your melons off the ground, preventing rot and limiting uneven growth. Gardener’s Supplycarries these and lots of other handy tools.
Photos courtesy of Amy Bissinger.