Our top five gift ideas that every gardener will love!

Looking for some Christmas inspiration?  Stumped for what to buy the gardener in your life? We’ve asked the keen gardeners amongst our staff and come up with a short-list of suggestions that we think might help you pick some welcome and useful seasonal presents. 

1. Good quality secateurs

What gardener can do without this most essential of tools?  The truth is, many of us have had the same pair for years and they really aren’t as sharp or effective as they used to be. A shiny new pair would be just the job.  When buying secateurs, think about the person who will use them: Do they have large or smaller hands?  Will they usually be doing a little light pruning or getting stuck into heavier jobs?  Both of these factors could influence the size you buy and, potentially, how stiff/strong the mechanism is.  We have a range of secateurs in our Titchfield Centre so please do pop by to browse or seek advice.  Did you know you can even get left-handed secateurs?  We don’t sell them, unfortunately, as there isn’t much demand, but they are available online.

secateurs

(If your gardener already has decent secateurs, consider buying them a sharpening stone and some WD40 so they can give them a good overhaul instead: we love this little video by Alan Titchmarsh on how to do it )

2. A bag of compost

bag of compost

Hold on – hear us out on this!  Yes, a bag of compost is not the most romantic gift in the world but – for a gardener – it’s quite possibly the most useful.  We all get through compost quickly, especially in the spring when it’s time to plant and pot on, so a bag or two now will be much appreciated. Why not think beyond standard multi-purpose? There are specialist composts available for roses, citruses, and orchids, with extra water-retaining ingredients for hanging baskets and pots, for seedlings or for mature plants, and ericaceous compost for plants that prefer a slightly acid soil (like azaleas and camellias).  (We do admit that it might not be practical to gift wrap this one!)

3. A tool belt or pouch

However large or small your garden, it’s Murphy’s Law that the one tool you need you left in your Potting Shed, so you’re forever nipping back to collect things.  A tool belt could be just the answer!  We’d advise going with a ‘small is beautiful’ approach; nobody needs something that holds every single garden tool they own when they try to bend down or reach up to work.  A small belt or pouch that holds one or two essential items and leaves hands free to carry pots or push mowers is probably just right. There are a range of options out there, and in colours and styles that won’t have you feeling like you just walked off a building site!

gardeners tool belt

4. Back door shoes

back door shoes

“I’m just nipping out to water the tomatoes/ dead head the roses /insert phrase of your choice here…” All gardeners do it. We think of something that we can just do between these rain showers and we’re off.  Trouble is, we either find we’ve gone outside in our slippers (again), or the heavens have opened by the time we’ve found our gardening boots.  We all need a pair of slip on, outdoor appropriate shoes that can sit by the back door for just such occasions.  There are lots of clog-type styles around, but we love the floral colours and superior durability offered by Back Door Shoes. They are based in Wimborne in Dorset and are taking orders for Christmas delivery now (usually before mid-December)!

5. Hand cream

After a hard day’s pruning and digging, a gardener’s hands could do with a little TLC so you can’t go wrong with a gift of some lovely hand cream.  Some will be delighted with a delicious floral scent, while others would prefer something more utilitarian and unscented (something like Vaseline Intensive Care or E45, for example). If your gardener shies away from anything nearly as decadent, you might convince them with a tube of Neutrogena. Designed for the hard-working hands of Norwegian fisherman, it acts a bit more like a barrier cream, to help protect as well as nourish (nothing decadent about that!). 

If you’re feeling creative, you could even make your own: try this Calendula cream recipe from fellow gardener Sarah Raven.

 

gardeners hand cream

A final thought

gift voucher

If you really can’t think what the perfect gift might be, why not consider some gift vouchers instead?  They are a great way to ensure that your gift goes towards something really useful and appreciated.  At Hambrooks, we have our own gift vouchers, available as beautiful tokens and starting at just £5.  For gardeners who don’t live close to our Centre, we also stock National Garden Gift vouchers, which can be used in thousands of centres across the country (including ours!).

Happy shopping!

More gift ideas

If this hasn’t quite hit the mark for you, try our other selections of suggestions through the links below:
Need a stocking filler or Secret Santa gift for a garden-lover?  We’ve got you covered here.
Looking for Dad giftsTry our Fathers’ Day gift ideas – they’ll be just as well received at Christmas!
Need the perfect gift for someone who isn’t into gardeningTry these suggestions.

Testimonials

Hambrooks

Testimonials

N. Haggard 20 September 2022

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say how delighted I am with my new garden.

Jon, my designer, listened to my ideas and delivered on everything I asked for. I wanted something different to any garden I’d had before, no lawn, no landscaping but packed with plants. He designed such a lovely secret garden, around a statement tree. And I have to commend him for his unwavering patience! I changed my mind a hundred times but never did he give me the impression that he was losing patience with my endless indecision. And my confidence in him led me to place an order for over £10k.

My landscaping team, Blade and Tony, were exceptional, from their work ethic, skill and knowledge, to the way they dealt with me, the customer. My standards are very high and I couldn’t fault them.

All in all, a very professional team of people. And it showed that they all care. I’m over the moon with the finished result. I will send you a before and after photo. Thank you so much.

A delighted customer.

G. Gray. May 2022

My front garden has been transformed by Andy and Bradley who both worked incredibly hard and I am delighted with the result. Andy had the vision and skill to turn my idea into reality and I can't thank him enough.

C. Haig Sept 2021

We recently had our garden landscaped by Hambrooks and I just wanted to pass on my thanks, not just for the outcome - which is superb - but for the professionalism of all the staff involved on the job who are all a credit to you company. Mike, Dave, Les and Adam.

H. Sharp Sept 2021

I just wanted to let you know how delighted I am with my new garden. Melanie was a delight to work with and the ideas she had have worked perfectly. Also Sheldon laid the patio beautifully and him and Dave were a pleaseure to have at my house. Quiet workers and polite.

B. Rendell April 2021

I would like to say how delighted we are with the work carried out. Mel, Paul and Tony all worked very hard, they totally took on board the specific need relating to safety as well as the general garden issues. Paul and Tony were excellent at consulting and discussing with me what I felt best in terms of the brief and adjusting if and as necessary, constantly pleasant and polite to deal with. Mel had picked up on particular issues from the first consultation and offered valuable advice. The outcome means a great deal less worry for me going forward.
Altogether a very positive experience and outcome which I would not hesitate to recommend to others.

Stephen March 2021

Dom and Adam's work (garden maintenance) is greatly appreciated. Dom really listened to everything we discussed very carefully and went out of his way to understand and then act upon that discussion. We are extremely pleased with the work done - both to the pond and pyracantha.

Marsha

We have been coming to Hambrooks for years and it's our favourite garden centre because of its friendly helpful staff and a great selection of plants and trees and the garden design ideas.

“We wanted to write and say how pleased we are with our low maintenance garden makeover. We are very impressed with the attitude of your staff who were prepared to listen to our requirements. Your team John and Rick brushed up and left everything tidy at the end of the day. We now have a garden we can manage and it looks great. THANK YOU HAMBROOKS.”

Mr & Mrs Venables, Southampton. April 2019

“Dear Josh & Mike We just want to say you both did a brilliant job of designing our garden along with the guys who did the work who were amazing. A few weeks on its looks even better now some of the plants are blooming. Thank you!!”

Mr & Mrs Gazzard, Winchester July 2019

“To James, John & Rikki. Thank you so much, we are delighted with our new garden. We really appreciate the attention to detail, the high quality workmanship and the standard of the finished project. We are amazed at how John & Rikki resolved the difficulties of the site and by the quality of their craftmanship. It was a pleasure to work with them and thank you for making our ideas into something we will enjoy for years to come.”
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