Garden Gifts for Green Living in All Seasons
Gardening Gift & Hobby Ideas for Kids, Adults, Elderly & Disabled
Sep 28, 2009
Gardens are labors of love and hard work. In the U.S., people who live in the south can enjoy working in the garden all year long. No matter where one resides, the joy of growing flowers and vegetables overshadows aching muscles and dirty clothes. Gifts for a gardener can include seeds, bulbs, potted plants, seedlings, fruit and flowering trees. Check out the list below for tools, gadgets, and comfort items. A single garden item makes a great gift, or bundle a few items and put them in a harvest basket for one grand gift.
Gardening as a Hobby and as Therapy
Working in the garden or caring for indoor plants is good physical and mental exercise. Organic gardening contributes to green living for a safer, healthier environment. Gardening is a hobby that doesn't have to be limited by the seasons or regional conditions. In the coldest, snowiest, regions of the north, green plants thrive in brightly-lit kitchen windowsills and in steamy bathrooms. Flowers flourish on desk corners, sit neatly arranged on coffee tables, serve as table centerpieces in dining rooms, and decorate enclosed back porches.
Gardening is more than a hobby for many people. Gardening is therapeutic for retirees and can improve the quality of life for elderly persons. People with special-needs and all levels of ability enjoy many types of gardening, including raised bed and container gardening. Adapted tools make much of the gardening work easier for people with restricted physical ability. Gardening programs for children with developmental disabilities often focus on stimulating the five senses. Most any type of gardening can be adapted to suit individual need, such as garden projects for people with Alzheimer's disease that cater to both patient and family caregivers.
Gardening Gifts for Adults
Once a new gardener is hooked, he won't want to put down the trowel unless it's to pick up the latest issue of Organic Gardening or a new seed catalogue. Gardening gifts make great presents any time of year – holidays, birthday, anniversary – or whatever the gift-giving occasion. Shown in this section are some gardening gifts for adults. Some items apply to indoor gardening and some apply to outdoor work areas.
- Hand tools such as a trowel and weeder
- Hand rake
- Long-handled garden rake (different from a leaf rake)
- Hoe
- Shovel
- Sturdy durable gloves
- Sunscreen
- Wide brim hat
- Kneeling pad or "Lawn Buddy" cart for sitting
- Watering can
- Clay pots or plastic decorative pots (and drip saucers)
- Containers for dish gardening
- Potting soil
- Garden apron
- Garden tool cart
- Harvesting basket (vegetables)
- Garden shears
- Insect repellent
- Wheelbarrow
- Subscription to Organic Gardening, Horticulture, Country Garden, or any of the popular gardening magazines that inspire new gardeners with great planting ideas.
- Seed catalogues such as Park's, Burpee, and Gurney's
- Farmer's Almanac A great source of climate information, plus recipes, garden tips, weather tips, and more.
- Garden décor such as inscribed metal or stone plaques, animal figures, fountains, etc.
- Garden bench, swing, hammock, lawn chaise, or other seating
- Gardening books
Gardening Gifts for Children
Parental supervision is strongly recommended. Children love to plant, but parents should be cautious about buying bulbs and plants that are poisonous if ingested.
Garden tools for young children can be found in many department stores and even some hardware stores. Garden Time Online, Main St Supply, and Young Gardener, are three great websites that offer many garden projects for kids, plus crafts and tools suitable for small hands. Other items for kids that work in the garden:
- Plastic tool cart such as the "Lawn Buddy" (Adult item, but very durable)
- Wagons and wheelbarrows for kids
- Hard plastic garden tools
- Sunglasses
- Watering can
- Apron
- Plastic pots (Add nontoxic paint set so kids can decorate the pots)
- Gardening books for kids
- Outdoor furniture for kids
Gardening Information for People with Disabilities
Lightweight tools with extension handles and items for comfort such as garden stools and upright tool carts make gardening easier for people who have limited physical ability. Watering cans with long spouts work well for people that have trouble bending. Self-watering containers for indoor plants make caring for flowers easier.
The American Horticultural Therapy Association website offers valuable garden tips and other information, like how to build a raised bed for plants. Disabled World website (Search: gardening) has information on how to plan an accessible garden for people who use mobility aids such as walkers and wheelchairs.
Gardening is a healthy hobby to be enjoyed all year long. During the winter season in the U.S., garden hobbyists turn to plants that grow indoors, seed catalogues, and gardening books. There are all kinds of gifts for gardening, including items for kids, elderly people, and people with disabilities. Most anyone of any age can enjoy the relaxation and excitement that comes from working with plants. Gardening is therapeutic in that it relaxes and relieves stress; yet there is excitement and gratification watching living plants grow. Garden gifts are relatively inexpensive, but the joy a garden supplies is priceless.
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