In my work as a garden educator, author and TV-host, garden journalist, and being a lifelong gardener, you can bet I’ve tried my fair share of garden products. After all that testing, here are my tried-and-true favorites, sure to brighten any garden lover’s holiday – and year round!
Gifts under $50
Hot Color, Dry Garden by Nan Sterman, Hey, I wrote this so what can I say? This is simply the best book for home gardeners (and even garden professionals) looking to create a color-filled, drought resilient garden. It’s filled with gorgeous photos of fifteen different gardens, a directory of best plants, and lessons on how to create gardens that offer the same WOW factor while being easy to maintain, supporting pollinators, and thriving on little more than Mother Nature’s rainfall.
Dramm One Touch Rain Wand, Dramm One Touch Rain Wands are my go-to for watering pots and newly installed plants. They deliver a lot of water quickly but so gently that the soil doesn’t get blasted out of pots or away from the base of plants. The flow is easy to turn on and off with just a flick of your thumb. It’s time to toss those awful gun style watering nozzles and start using a Dramm One Touch Rain Wand. Choose a color that matches or contrasts with your Dramm Colorstorm hose!
Renee’s Garden Gift Certificate, I’ve been teaching seed starting workshops since 2010 and in all the years, I’ve encouraged my students to plant Renee’s Garden Seeds. Renee focuses on the best tasting and easiest-to-grow varieties for home gardeners, chosen with an eye to the most beautiful vegetables, flowers, herbs, and more. There are many wonderful seed companies out there but Renee’s Garden Seeds is at the top of my list.
Japanese Weeding Tool, Look at my hands and you won’t be surprised to learn that I mostly weed with my fingernails, unfortunately, but not all weeds pull out that easily. For weeds that grow deep or spread wide, I reach for this wonderful weeding tool, made in Japan and crafted by traditional Japanese blacksmiths with finely honed skills. It works great!
DeWit Forged Hand Trowel, Few things frustrate me more than flimsy, poorly made tools that just fall apart. My DeWit hand trowel is the exact opposite of that. This Dutch-made hand trowel feels solid in my hand (I have a small sized trowel to fit my smaller hands), slides easily into the hardest soils, and seems to be lasting forever. It’s worth spending a little more for really great tools. DeWit is it!.
Gifts under $150
Dramm Colorstorm Hose, Are you tired of hoses that kink, crack, break, and fall apart in just a few years? That doesn’t happen with Dramm hoses. I just counted 9 of these hoses in my garden – in all the wonderful colors and some more than a decade old. They last forever!
WisePro Gardening Apron, I am PICKY when it comes to garden aprons. I want lots of big pockets and a criss-cross back that doesn’t pull down on my shoulders. It also has to be short enough to fit my frame. My ideal apron stands up to sharp tools, piles of dirt and plant debris that accumulates in the pockets (how does that happen?), getting doused in water, and still protects my phone, plant labels, pencils, tools, and more. This apron does it all!
Annual GardenWise Subscription, Does your favorite gardener struggle with knowing when to prune, what to fertilize, and overall what to do in the garden each month? Do they want to plant more but are confused about what to plant? GardenWise is my monthly menu of what to do and what to plant in the garden, along with a spotlight on a new, cool plant perfectly suited to Southern California’s growing conditions. This is a gift they’ll definitely thank you for!
Gifts under $200
Easy Seed Starting, Stop struggling with starting vegetable seeds. Since 2010, I’ve taught more than a thousand people how to start their summer vegetable garden from seed via my Easy Seed Starting Course. It is available as self-paced online videos, in person workshops, etc.. The 2025 course runs March 1 through the end of July. Give this as a gift to your favorite wanna-be seed starter and expect to be rewarded with luscious tomatoes, spicy peppers, gorgeous zinnia, and more!
Gifts under $500
Vegepod Raised Garden Bed,I’ve never met a freestanding raised bed that even comes close to my Vegepod. It’s waist high, so easy to reach. Its deep bed supports even deep-rooted plants like eggplants and peppers. The onboard watering system takes care of all the irrigation needs, while the cover seems to protect it from hungry critters. And it’s tough and sturdy – no rusting, not rotting. This is the best!
*I’m a participant in the Amazon affiliate program, and some of the links in this post are affiliate links. That means I might earn a small commission from Amazon if you click them and buy something, but it doesn’t cost you anything extra!
