Best Holiday Gifts for the Gardening Enthusiast

Not sure what to get the gardening enthusiast on your holiday wish list? Well fear not. Santa's elves have been scouting the coolest ideas in gardening this year and offer these gift-giving suggestions. Some gifts are perfect for beginners who are just starting out in their gardening hobby, while other presents are perfect for the advanced grower. And the elves were careful to include gift ideas to cater to all budgets. So make your list, check it twice and get ready for some fun shopping for the gardening enthusiast.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE: Any gardener would be happy with some brand new gardening tools. With so much use, they often break or get dull quickly. If there's a beginner gardener on your list, you might want to start them out with a basic set of hand-held tools, like a trowel, mini-rake and cultivator. Or, add to the basic collection with a digger, weeder, hoe, and transplanter. Since most gardeners start out with a basic set of inexpensive tools and then graduate to more specialized and higher quality implements, an upgrade in tools would be a welcomed present for the experienced gardener. A bulb planter, dibble, fork and pruner are some ideas for more advanced hand-held gardening tools. For a creative gift presentation, arrange the tools in a flowerpot, a floral canvas bag with some colorful tissue paper, or perhaps a pretty container that could be used to grow a container garden. You could also accent the gift with a pair of gardening gloves or some packets of flower seeds. Then wrap the entire gift presentation in some cellophane wrap and tie with a big bright bow.

HANDY RESOURCES: Avid gardeners love to read about gardening just as much as they like creating their floral paradises. Whether it's a book, magazine, video, or CD, gardeners can pick up ideas and expert advice for their gardens, or keep informed on the latest growing habits of various plants and flowers. There are numerous books on the market that are geared towards gardening basics, as well as specific garden types, from container and water gardens to tropical and nighttime gardens. The novice gardener on your list will appreciate these selections, designed especially for those new to the hobby: "Gardening for Dummies" by Mike MacCaskey and Bill Marken; the "New Illustrated Guide to Gardening" by Reader's Digest; and "The Color Dictionary of Flowers and Plants for Home and Garden" by Roy Hay.

For the more experienced gardener, the following would make perfect reading additions: "The Hawaii Garden: Tropical Exotics" by Horace F. Clay and James C. Hubbard, complete with valuable information on growing conditions, uses, propagation, pests and diseases, pruning, and fertilizing of 118 tropical plant species; "Container Gardens: 60 Container Recipes to Accent Your Garden" by P. Allen Smith, which shows how to create a beautiful container garden in minutes in a recipe-style format; and "The Master Book of the Water Garden: The Ultimate Guide to the Design and Maintenance of the Water Garden" by Phillip Swindells, complete with a wealth of practical ideas and tips on water gardening.

For the more visual garden enthusiast, there is a wide range of gardening topics available on DVD and VHS formats. Among the more popular DVD selections are: "The Martha Stewart Gardening Collection - Martha's Spring Garden" by Martha Stewart; "Secrets of the Rose Gardener - The Art of Rose Gardening" by Katie Daley; and "Jerry Baker: Year Round Gardening" by Jerry Baker. Popular gardening tips available on VHS include: "Butterfly Gardening" from the Audubon Society; "Flower Gardening" from PBS; and "Professor Greenthumb's Gardening" by Professor Greenthumb.

Another great idea for gardeners of any skill level is a gift subscription to a gardening magazine. Among the publications particularly enjoyed by gardeners are: Fine Gardening Magazine; Garden Design; and Flower & Garden Magazine. Check your local bookstore for other garden-related publications and to obtain a gift subscription card (purchase the magazine and attach a note telling the recipient a six-month or one-year subscription is on its way).

For a cool gift presentation, you could fill a garden basket with a selection of various books, magazines, DVDs, etc. Decorate the basket with a pretty floral ribbon and bow from your local fabric store.

THE NECESSARY INGREDIENTS: The success to any garden is its flower selection. So a gift card to a nearby gardening store or mail-order garden shop makes an ideal holiday present. This way, your favorite gardener can purchase plantings that they especially like, as well as other gardening needs.

GARDENING ACCENTS: You can't go wrong with garden accents, which seem to be growing in popularity with each passing year. Garden ornaments, such as butterflies, frogs and turtles, as well as birdhouses, are popular among the gardening crowd. So are reflecting balls, which are a stunning accent as they mirror the vibrant colors and striking shapes of flowers throughout the garden. If the gardener on your list has a water garden incorporated within their floral garden, consider giving some tropical fish. Some good choices are goldfish, comet, fantail, shubunkin, golden orfe, tadpoles and snails.

For a more personalized gift, consider stepping stones. They can be engraved with a special message, favorite quotation, or name and are a perfect way for your favorite gardener to remember your gift while entering or walking through their flowering paradise. Some other great additions that would make wonderful holiday gifts are arbors and trellises; a porch swing; garden bench; containers or urns; decorative sprinklers, especially those in shapes of animals, birds and flowers; birdbaths; and small statues, such as cherubs.

GARDEN WEAR: Gardens need lots of love and care, and that means the gardener needs to spend a great deal of time outdoors. That's why a sunhat would make both a practical and personal holiday gift. Another good gift idea is a garden apron, with lots of big pockets for putting tools and supplies at a gardener's fingertips. A selection of garden wear is widely available in garden shops and garden centers of department and discount stores.