Of course my first gift guide is for gardeners! While I love really nice things for the garden, I don’t usually splurge on myself. Gardeners spend the majority of their funds (usually limited) on plants, seeds, soil, mulch, construction materials, a few good quality garden tools and that’s about it. Most of the really nice things I use in the garden were either purchased for me as gifts or I bought using birthday/Christmas gift money. Here are a few splurge items for that special gardener in your life, as well as a few inexpensive items that will probably be a bit easier on your wallet.

1. Temperature gauge $58.00 – Terrain – I’ve had my eye on the lookout for a nice outdoor temperature gauge for a few years and this one fits all of my high standards.

2. Recycled metal wind chime $27.86 – Ironaworks – I bought a set of these a few years ago and they are absolutely beautiful and make a really pleasant deep chime. Mine have been outside for a couple of winters and are so durable.

3. Wilder Quarterly subscription $18.95/issue – I started reading this publication on a whim when it first came out and I really enjoy it. Often times the usual gardening magazines only show the perfect yards and precisely manicured lawns which leave me feeling very inferior and discouraged. But Wilder is quite different – it has well written articles about real gardens and real gardeners, urban farmers, and artisans. If you’re feeling really generous, a lifetime subscription is only $895.

4. Seeds $3.00 – Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds – This would be such a welcome gift for me – I love all of Baker Creek’s offerings and I’ve had such great success with their seeds. They also have their own book, The Heirloom Life Gardener, which has some of the most beautiful vegetable photography I’ve ever seen.

5. Gardener’s hand salve $13.95 – Old Faithful Shop – Gardeners have some of the worst dry hands! I love a good quality, lovely smelling, natural salve to relieve my lizard skin.

6. Hanging Planter $62.00 – Cathy Terepoki – I first started pining for this artist’s wares when I saw them in a local independent shop. They are all so beautiful and I love supporting local artists.

7. Japanese Hori Hori $33.50 – Lee Valley Tools – This is the best investment I’ve ever made, tool-wise. I was once out using it in the front yard to do some weeding and a neighbor yelled across several properties “What the hell is that, a bowie knife?!!”. It’s so bad-ass looking but it also works so unbelievably well. I’d hummed and hawed about it for a couple of years until I finally bought it one day and my life has not been the same since – I use it for weeding, digging, cutting roots – you name it. Also, any garden tool that looks like a legit murder weapon has to be good.

8. Temporary vegetable tattoos $17.42 – Julia Rothman – I love love love these! And Julia Rothman is one of my favorite artists – her book Farm Anatomy is so beautiful (and informative!).

9. Plant pot $69.00 – Steven Alan – A bit out of my price range for one pot, but it sure is beautiful!

As with all of my gift guides, the items are carefully selected by myself and all opinions are my own. I am not receiving compensation for any of these products – I just love them!