I Handpicked These Garden-Themed Gifts for You

In this edition of The Gift, our gifts expert shares some of the garden-themed goodies she's loving for spring: fun dishes, great tools, some charming floral bedding. Plus, more gifts for plant lovers — including some very good-looking watering cans.

Now that spring has really and truly sprung here in San Francisco — poppies popping, wind whipping off the Pacific, and my allergies ablaze — you can find me in my small backyard with my hands in the dirt. Mostly I’m pulling winter’s carpet of weeds, but I’m also planting cheerful pots of annuals, fertilizing, fighting with gophers, pruning suckers and deadwood, and generally shaking off the last four months of neglect.

I got my gardening genes from both sides — my mom’s a putterer like me, and my dad is a former-landscaper-turned-Japanese-gardening-supply-importer — and I have absorbed what I know mostly through osmosis. But when I need expert help on a specific issue or plant, I turn to the North Star of gardening from the Rockies to the Pacific, The Sunset Western Gardening Book. Anyone trying to grow anything in this part of the country should own this invaluable manual (and perfect housewarming present). My own copy has a split spine, soil-stained pages, and a case of mildew from living in the garage with the rest of the gardening supplies, which is exactly how it should be.

I may be biased, but when it comes to spring gift-giving moments — whether that’s Mother’s Day, May birthdays, or a baby shower — why not lean heavily into the season: florals, plants, and truly special gardening gear? And for those who don’t like to muck about in the yard, but still appreciate the results, there are lots of garden-adjacent gifts that evoke the excitement of spring but don’t require getting dirty. I’ll sow a few of my ideas here:

• In the spirit of the garden as an ecosystem, I’m in love with the English conservatory vibe of this elegant collection of buggy china. Just look at this long-horned beetle plate, or this grasshopper cup-and-saucer set. Science meets garden party.
• Keeping with the ecosystem vein, this new kids book is all about “green superheroes.” It has beautiful illustrations and graphics showing how nature’s “smartest, strongest, and sneakiest plants” survive, thrive, and contribute to their environments. An inspiring gift for the budding gardener.
• For a slightly groovier vibe, these mix-and-match sheet sets made of a lightweight Indian cotton and printed with bold and bright floral designs could be perfect for a boho-leaning teen or anyone in love with pattern and color. They can be combined with other sets to create floral jumbles that feel a bit like sleeping in a springtime meadow in the 1970s.
• And for the more serious gardeners on your list: This double-edged hand weeder is excellent for loosening soil and cutting invaders off at the roots. For the precipitation nerds, this rain gauge, accurate enough for the National Weather Service, is not only useful, but kind of fun for tracking rainfall. And, of course, a sharp pair of pruners, which every gardener needs.
• As for actual plants, you could go the seed route with these bundles of themed organic seeds — Herbal Teas, Prepper’s Survival, and Salsa Fiesta to name a few. Each pest-proof tin box comes with 10 seed packets. Or, for the already sprouted, I’ve had good luck with trees from Plants by Mail.
• Finally, I must mention my favorite sun hat, because I don’t go out to the garden without it. It has a cinching chin strap to keep it in place, a wide brim that provides ample sun protection and, most importantly, a flat brim that doesn’t interfere with my sightline. Just don’t try to crawl under the bushes with it on.

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