Save Money on Gifts for the Gardening Enthusiast in Your Home

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Many of today's homes have an avid gardener in their midst. Youngsters, moms, dads, or grandparents might have been bitten by the gardening bug.

Schools often use gardening in one aspect or another for teaching purposes; your child might be a blooming gardener. Mom or Dad might enjoy gardening as an escape from stresses associated with today’s fast pace business world. Or perhaps they like gardening for the sheer pleasure provided, or the bounty of flowers and fresh vegetables produced – both of which cost less than those provided commercially.

Grandpa or Grandma possibly like gardening as a hobby or pastime to enjoy during retirement years. Whoever the gardener may be in your household, there are sure-fire ways to thrill them with special occasion gardening gifts. Each one low cost!

One Great Gift Idea: Gift Supporter Program Membership at NGA

A purchase of the Gift Supporter Program at the National Gardening Association (NGA) for $24.95 might be a perfect gift for your avid gardener.

The one-year membership program includes a 10% discount on every gardening tool and all other products purchased through NGA – online as well as from their gardening supply catalog, and free access to NGA’s exclusive online gardening course. Also included is use of all reference materials, a one-year-subscription to the quarterly print newsletter, unlimited Q & A service from gardening experts, and a Subaru VIP discount of up to $3,000 on new car purchases.

All this in addition to free-membership access to numerous gardening articles and other helpful reference materials – for children as well as adults; a message board, free computer wallpaper, and much more. All in all, a veritable wealth of garden resources and information any garden lover would love.

Make Prudent Purchases for Great Avid Gardener Gift Ideas

One of the obvious places to save money when making garden-related purchases is at your local department store. Both Walmart and Kmart have seasonal lawn and gardening supply department sections; near the end of the summer, prices on lawn furniture and gardening supplies are slashed in order to clear out those departments.

By shopping for clearance items, you get huge savings on gardening tools, seeds, planting mediums, plants, and many other gardening supply items. Various gardening supply catalogues, as well as online resources such as Gardeners.com, have special clearance sections and offer huge discounts on unique, quality gardening products that make terrific gifts for gardeners.

Unique Gift Ideas Sure to Please

Make a Gift Basket: By thoughtfully shopping using the resources mentioned above, put together a “gardening gift basket.” Select a large basket with a handle; stuff with colorful plastic grass (used in Easter baskets), or tissue paper.

Arrange a hand-held gardening tool or two inside. Include stem cutters, gardening aids such as hormone powder, peat pellets, plant ties, and various packets of seeds – each purchased at discount prices. Use a twist tie to affix a colorful pair of gardening gloves to the handle as a bow!

Globe-Shaped Flower Aquariums: If your avid gardener has a prize rose bush or some other outstanding flower variety they are especially proud of, a globe-shaped flower aquarium is the perfect way to display blossoms in the home. Aquariums can be purchased on sale for as little as $8 for a set of 3 or 4 smaller ones, or under $10 for larger models. Available online or in gardening supply catalogs everywhere.

Create a Window Box: When it comes to a gardening container, nothing beats the old-fashioned charm of window boxes; filled to overflowing with a bounty of colorful blossoms cascading over the sides. A nearly irresistible sight for flower-loving gardeners with a sentimental heart.

Build an attractive window box using a rot-resistant wood such as western cedar, which is also insect repellent. A good length for the box would be the width of the window it will go under; include the frame when measuring.

The height should be about 8 to 10-inches, with a width of around 8-inches. Drill ½ to ¾-inch holes on the bottom for drainage, spaced about 7 to 8-inches apart.

Once the window box has been constructed, either leave it rustic-looking to weather naturally, or sand and paint. Attach brass or iron hangers to the back side of the box, one at either end. Boxes longer than 16-inches should also have some type center support.

Place a bag of planting medium, a gardening tool such as a trowel, and packets of flowers and/or herbs inside the box; include a small copper watering can, if desired.

A Tilled Garden Spot and a Hat Full of Promises

What better gift to give a gardener than a tilled garden spot, complete with seeds and planting tools?

Purchase an attractive gardening hat; one with a wide, floppy rim, if possible. Fill with a variety of gardening seeds – vegetable, flower, and herb. Things like a hand trowel, garden gloves, and plant name stakes can also be added.

If you’ve a neighbor or someone in your community who has invested in a tiller, hire them to till a garden spot in your back yard. Make arrangements when the gift recipient isn’t around; be specific as to where you want the ground to be tilled, size, and shape. If you can’t find someone to do the tilling for you, rent a tiller at a gardening supply rental store.

Arrange for the garden spot to be tilled when the recipient is away from the house; perhaps during a surprise birthday breakfast at a local restaurant, or while out for a drive.

Upon arriving home, present your garden lover with the hat full of promises gift, and the tilled garden spot, and get ready for a hug.

Ideas for Persons with Artistic Ability

If you are artistically inclined, paint pretty posies on the wooden handles of various gardening tools – hand held and otherwise. Sunflower, pansy, and poppy blossoms are especially attractive. Spray with polyurethane to seal.

Decorate gardening containers; planting pots, a carrying caddy, small empty baby food or canning jars to hold seeds, or a flower box.

Paint pictures of various herbs on the front of a window box; one herb variety every 4 or 5 inches. Fill the window box with a good potting mix; plant herb seeds in the appropriate place, over each matching variety depicted on the box. This makes a great gift for not only avid gardeners, but chefs who love fresh herbs for culinary purposes, as well.

These avid gardener gift ideas are but a few of the nearly endless possibilities. Select one of the above, or let your imagination grow!