07 Dec The gifts that gardeners will love

Our ideas for gifts and presents that gardeners will truly appreciate

It’s a gloomy day in December and I’m sitting in front of my laptop thinking about food, mud, weather and Christmas. The season is upon us once again and I’m in search of genuinely useful gifts for friends and family. Ones that won’t end up in landfill before summer arrives.

Here are some of the things I’ve found

Storm Kettle a great way for gardeners to keep warm

The Holland Landscapes Team are generally very lucky to work with clients who regularly pop out with trays of tea. But sometimes that’s just not practical. Working outside in winter – especially on damp, drizzly days, a hot drink is always welcome. I would love one of these storm kettles to take to work with me – I can see it working for camping trips too. And if I had time for an allotment, one of these would be with me at all times.

I especially like this one, because it’s on offer at the moment.

https://seriouscountrysports.com/collections/ghillie-kettle

Here’s how a storm kettle works – simple yet effective, you can see how it would appeal to gardeners – and fishermen!

Mud Daddy for cleaning gardener’s boots and tools

I first spotted this on a blog written by a dog trainer. As you know, I have a couple of canine friends myself. Penny the golden retriever is especially good at getting muddy on winter time walks.

At this time of year, we’re inundated with mud and it’s almost impossible to keep the floors clean. And that goes for the vans as well as the house. What with buggy wheels, doggy paws, work boots and toddler toes, it’s a full time job.

This looks as though it will help. I love that it keeps water warm for almost 2 hours. That means it can be prepared and left in the car or just inside the door so it’s ready when we are.

Such a simple idea and so useful.

https://muddaddy.com/

Bonsai Tree

I’ve always been fascinated by bonsai trees. Landscaping is all about moulding nature to fit your own needs. Bonsai trees for me represent the ultimate in plant manipulation and I can look at them all day long.

As luck would have it, Chrissy Leigh Walker or Bushukan Bonsai Nursery in Hockley is planning to move house next year and she has some stunning specimens for sale. Prices start at just £17.50.

Chrissy is truly dedicated to her trees and is more than happy to share advice on caring for them.

These are couple a few of the bonsai trees available – there are more at the nursery

Get in touch at

Bushukan Bonsai Nursery. Lower Road, Hockley, Essex SS5 5NL.  01702 201029

Macro lens for a smartphone

I love to record progress for all of our projects and of course the easiest way to do that is by taking pics on my smartphone.

This lens attachment is super. We’ll be blogging next year about the importance of attention to detail in landscaping. A macro lens like this one will allow me to get really close up images to show you just how good the team is.  I can also snap pictures of plants and wildlife in our gardens.

The price of this lens is considerably less than the cost of a professional photographer. So while I will still be having prestigious pics taken for our next entry into the APL Awards, this will suffice for day to day work…and I can share it with Katie for when she’s out on her garden design consultations.

https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/accessories/all-accessories/photography?page=1&fh=47a8%2B33b3

Planting plan

How many gardeners spend too much money on plants? Most of us I should imagine. A sure fire way of ensuring that you buy the right plants for the right place is to have a personalised planting plan made by a garden designer.

Our sister company, Tapestry Design Studios, are home to a particularly talented team of plantsmen and women. For a moderate fee, they can create a planting plan that will suit the soil type and aspect in your garden. Suit the style of your property, include your favourite colour schemes and be as low maintenance as you want it to be.

A planting plan can be for just a small section the garden or for the whole space. It is completely bespoke to the client’s taste and in no way takes away the gardener’s pleasure in shopping for plants and getting them established.

Find out more here

Weather station

They say that the last thing you hear or read is the one you remember best. So here’s what’s at the top of my own wish list. Santa – if you’re reading this, you know where to find me!

My whole life revolves around the weather. Work, dog walking, family time all get organised around the weather and so for me, it’s good to be able to monitor weather patterns. Even if I’m on holiday I’m thinking about the weather back home and how it will affect progress on various projects.

I’m particularly impressed with the design. Very stylish and with hardly any plastic.

https://shop.netatmo.com/gbp_en/weatherstation.html

ALL prices correct at the time of writing

Some of our favourite blogs from 2018

How to plant a tree and help it thrive (trees make excellent gifts for gardeners)

We’re celebrating 30 years of creating beautiful gardens

Our pick of gardening gifts and gadgets