32 Gifts for the Gardener

• Black Walnut Flower Press, $82; shop.pistilsnursery.com/products/flower-press

Measuring 8.75" x 5.25", and laser cut from Oregon black walnut, this flower press—a collaboration between Pistils Nursery and local designers in Portland—is small enough to take on day trips, but large enough to fit a wide variety of specimens. The distressed brass hardware and hand-drawn balsamroot add thoughtful detail to the durable yet beautiful press. It comes with enough cardboard sheets and velum blotter paper to create six drying compartments. Your specimens will be dry—and ready for mounting onto cards or into frames—in 3 to 4 weeks.

• Kokedama kit, $32; shop.pistilsnursery.com/products/kokedama-kit

This kit has all the components for you to make your very own kodedama garden, including a 4-inch plant. Kokedama, a traditional bonsai discipline, involves binding a plant’s roots into a sphere made of moss and clay. It makes for a fantastic indoor gardening project.

• Wyatt Succulent Planter, $75; boycestudio.com

We love the sturdiness of these thick wooden planters, paired with the daintiness of a succulent or air plant. Vessels come with a small glass planter and rocks for drainage and top dressing. Each planter is made to order and one-of-a-kind.

• Kelly, $90; boycestudio.com

This ebonized ash planter (pictured at center), that comes complete with rocks for drainage and top dressing, is perfect for any adventure-seeking succulent or air plant that wants to go for a little ride.

• Ikea Satsumas Plant Stand, $40

Give indoor plants a good home. This plant ladder is ideal for any attention-grabbing flora or shy bloomer, but we love it paired with one or two that cascade over the edge for the ultimate effect.

• West Elm Iridescent Faceted Glass Terrarium, from $19

From desktop to tablescape, this faceted glass terrarium is the crown jewel of any space. An iridescent finish adds color and shine that changes with the light and angle. The vessels are watertight so you can create a lush terrarium without worry.

• From $235; shop.pistilsnursery.com

Hand-painted with constellations, these wheel-thrown ceramic bells with hemp hangers and reclaimed wood clappers are perfect gifts for the stargazers in your life. The bells vary in size (the one on the left measures 5 1⁄2 inches across) and are sturdy enough
to hang outdoors.

• Disc Chimes, from $48; pigeontoeceramics.com

Pigeon Toe, our ceramist friends in Portland, encourage us to make a statement with tinted ceramic discs strung together on a deerskin lace cord.

• Seletti Aquart Garden Shower, $324; shophorne.com

With a simple copper neck and concrete base, this outdoor shower fits seamlessly next to the garden or by the pool for an easy rinse.

• Oregon Myrtlewood Trug, $160; marchsf.com

Inspired by English-style harvest baskets, this myrtle carrier works perfectly as a straight-from-the-garden centerpiece once filled with your bounty.

• Atlas nitrile gloves, $33 for 12 gloves (6 pairs); amazon.com

Our garden editors love these washable, easy-to-work-in gloves—and so will your favorite gardener.

• Gardman Galvanized Steel Watering Can with Copper Accents, from $29

This watering can takes all the guesswork out of storage. With hunter green galvanized steel and copper accents made to weather gracefully, you’ll want to leave it out for all to see.

• Le Prince Jardinier essential gardening tools set, $124

This three-piece gardening tool set is designed to be well-loved and passed on to future generations. Made from stainless steel and wood, the fork, cultivator, and trowel feel good in your hands and hold up to frequent use.

• $20 each; lesliecbennett.com/studio

Help a friend keep her sowings straight with this plant marker, an iconic San Francisco–made Heath tile on a steel stake that patinates over time. These reusable markers brighten any bed.

• $115; amazon.com

Embrace El Niño with dry feet. Dafna by Naot Lian ankle-cut rain boots slip on and off easily. They’re cute enough to wear between showers too.

• Kitchen Composter from $75, mudpiegallery.com

This one-of-a-kind compost container, hand-thrown in Salem, Oregon, is an elegant alternative to industrial-looking versions.

• Epic Seeds assorted seed packets, from $4

We firmly believe you can never have too many seeds, and you don’t want to miss out on the unexpected varieties from Epic Seeds. Squirrel away some Benning Green Tint Squash, Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard, and Mr. Gideon’s Beefsteak Tomatoes to plant come spring. Pro tip: Seed packets make great stocking stuffers, and can also double as gift tags or place cards.

• lavierustic.com

With her line of kitchen-garden supplies, Georgeanne Brennan returns to her roots—in the 1980s, the Bay Area cooking teacher introduced Lacinato kale and radicchio to the United States. This time, she brings heirloom lettuce seeds ($15), herbes de Provence ($8), and—because eggs taste only as good as a hen’s food— a “chicken scratch” seed mix ($8).

• $14; reneesgarden.com

These easy-growing California “Native Orange” poppies from Renee’s Garden, in the Santa Cruz Mountains, are what garden editor Johanna Silver recommends for vibrant color. And, of course, they’re heat- and drought-friendly. One canister should brighten at least 600 square feet of ground for weeks.

• Seed Keeper, $19; chroniclebooks.com

Seed packets slip right into the binder for easy organization, with room for notes to make next year’s planting a breeze.

• Gardener’s notebook, $12; www.tigerfoodpress.com

Take the guesswork out of gardening by keeping track of your outdoor activities. With room to record your to-do lists, design tweaks, and seed-starting dates, you’ll be fully in the know from year to year. The gorgeous artwork will keep you returning to your record keeping.

• Shed Recycled Plastic Totes, from $38

Farmers’ market hauls and overflowing harvests are no match for this deep, easy-to-carry that’s perfect for use in the garden or for filling up with groceries. The renewable sugarcane-based plastic wipes clean easily and can be recycled at the end of its life.

• Any dollar amount; anniesannuals.com

Gardeners are a choosy bunch. Avoid the wrong gift by allowing the green thumb in your life to select her own plants. Richmond, CA-based Annie’s Annuals & Perennials specializes in rare and unusual plants, and ships anywhere in the country. Check out the “Totally Useful Plant Lists” to help narrow down the lot.

• $40; scoutregalia.com

Inspired by California Craftsman bungalows, this birdhouse kit, designed in L.A., provides a fun wintertime project that helps support local wildlife—a win-win for the holidays.

• $189.95; williams-sonoma.com

This kit includes all the beekeeping basics minus the hive. You'll receive a veiled helmet, gloves, hive tool, bee brush, smoker, and feeder.

• Garden Hause candle, $34; hausinterior.com

Bring the garden indoors with this hand-poured coconut wax candle that smells of white rose, bergamot, cassis, and black pepper.

• $309; Amazon.com

joSon: Intimate Portrait of Nature (Graphis Press, 2013) bursts with stunning shots of Western gems like tulips from the Skagit Valley and Dahlias from Golden Gate Park.

• $80; phaidon.com

Lotusland, in Santa Barbara, which has a gorgeous pool filled with floating lotus, and Kauai’s lush Lawa‘i Kai garden are only two of the 250-plus gems profiled in this encyclopedia for garden geeks. Not all of them are in the West, but we’re allowed to find ideas elsewhere, right?

• From $139; huntington.org

At the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, your giftee will find 120 fabulous acres.

• From $55; japanesegarden.com

Anyone in search of a peaceful spot for wandering and contemplation in the heart of the city will love the Portland Japanese Garden.

• From $55; botanicgardens.org

The tropical conservatory at the Denver Botanic Gardens offers a model of drought-tolerant landscaping and a respite from winter’s chill.

• Sunset gift subscription, $16 for 2 years

From gardening ideas to up-and-coming travel destinations to wine recommendations, Sunset brings great ideas for living in the West to your fingertips. An annual subscription makes for the perfect stocking stuffer or add-on gift. This holiday season, a special deal gives your giftee two years of Sunset for the price of one.