In putting together these gift suggestions for gardeners and plant lovers, I wanted to celebrate the people who love to grow their own food, whether it’s seasoned growers who’ve been tending their plots for decades or relative newcomers, like myself, who are still learning the ropes (but want to look cute doing it in a pair of bright blue garden clogs). There’s still plenty of planning to do before planting season is upon us—here’s what’s on my holiday wish list in the meantime. 

What is it specifically about these shoes that makes them “garden clogs,” you may ask? I couldn’t tell you, except that I fantasize about wearing them while plucking worms and weeds out of my raised beds all summer long. From stylish home and garden brand Gardenheir, they’ve got a comfy removable cork insole and are otherwise entirely waterproof, so they’ll be right at home during the morning watering. They come in a bunch of fun colors, but I’ve got my sights set on “bluebird.”  

Gone are the days (in my mind anyway) of glorifying the excessive summer tan—everyone I know is way more interested in keeping their skin healthy and protected from the sun’s damaging UV rays. Sunscreens help, but when it comes to keeping the heat off your neck and face, nothing beats a good old-fashioned wide-brimmed hat. This UPF 50 cotton number from Terrain comes in eight colors and features a healthy 5-inch brim—and you might find yourself wearing it to the farmers market, too, because it just looks that good. 

The word “hori” in Japanese means “to dig,” and to say that’s what this tool does is the understatement of the century. It digs, yes, thanks to its trowel-like shape, but it also has two sharp edges, one of which is serrated, which makes it ideal for slicing through stubborn roots below the soil’s surface, or quickly clipping twigs or stalks that have grown unwieldy. Cutting things apart—whether it’s dried out, stubborn soil or undesirable offshoots—is a surprisingly important part of helping things grow, and these simple little knives do it all with ease. You could find a fancy one if you wanted, but this ultra-affordable one from Nisaku is remarkably efficient. 

In one of my recent “Plot to Plate” columns, I waxed poetic about the beauty of seeds and offered up a bunch of my favorite retailers. One of my favorites is the Hudson Valley Seed Company, which gets bonus points in my book for being queer-owned and close to home. Their vegetable seed pack is a great starter for some springtime plantings, and includes five different seed packs featuring original produce-inspired artworks. Another favorite, Truelove Seeds, has a tremendous variety of heirloom seeds from the African diaspora, including the historically significant fish pepper, which makes an excellent hot sauce. 

There are quite a few “countertop composting” devices on the market now, but the term is rather misleading, as they’re not composting your food scraps so much as dehydrating and pulverizing them, making them less smelly and easier to dispose of. (Wirecutter recently published a great explainer on their pros and cons.) While they certainly do not produce a microbe-rich living product you can add directly to your garden, the ground-up bits make a nice addition to the home compost pile, as they’re much quicker to break down than average scraps and are full of nutrients ready to be unlocked. If you know someone who is already composting at home on a small scale, this sleek countertop device is a great way to help things along. 

Sure, you could bring a flashlight into the garden when you’re foraging for fresh herbs after dark, or you could bring this hand-held rechargeable lamp like something out of a Miyazaki movie. Stephanie Pancratz, SAVEUR’s managing director of editorial operations, also thinks it’s great for outdoor dinner parties, or for illuminating the dark corners of tables that “lack light but need to show me if I’m grabbing a piece of cheddar cheese (good choice) or blue cheese (better left for someone else).” 

For anyone who appreciates the simple pleasure of a perfectly (yes, perfectly) ripe avocado, consider this lovely gift bundle from a family-owned California ranch. The harvest from Primavera Avocados is delivered fresh from the tree and is never held in cold storage, ensuring a slow and exceptionally even ripening process. For the holidays, the owners have partnered up with Ilex Studio to offer a case of avocados paired with this charming borosilicate-glass growing vase so recipients can take a crack at growing an avocado tree of their own. Avocado plants grown at home from pits are unlikely to bear their own fruit, but it’s a fun project nonetheless. 

In her book Into the Weeds: How to Garden Like a Forager, author Tama Matsuoka Wong provides readers with bountiful ideas for making the most of their home garden spaces by taking inspiration from the wild world of weeds. In addition to practical advice for planting and harvesting, she also offers tips for utilizing invasive plants in culinary applications, such as making pickles from Japanese knotweed or substituting foraged wild mustards in for broccoli rabe. 

I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that one of my all-time favorite parts of the summer garden is brushing my arms through a thicket of tomato leaves and releasing their pungent, peppery aroma into the air. This candle from luxury home goods brand Flamingo Estate captures the essence of the tomato patch, hand-poured in a recyclable glass vessel in Los Angeles. To add a little zest to your daily dishwashing, they make a version of their dish soap in this scent as well.

Every product is independently selected and vetted by editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.