A Gardener's Gift Guide for Every Occasion
By Richard "Woodie" Buller, GGD co-founder with 35+ years in horticulture
Published On: Nov 15, 2024
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Cut flowers last a week. A plant can last a lifetime. That's why I've always thought a living gift is one of the best things you can give. Every spring when it blooms, they'll think of you.
This guide is organized by occasion, so jump to the one you're shopping for. You'll find trees, shrubs, and perennials that make meaningful gifts, a few easy houseplants for folks without a yard, and tools any gardener will use. At the bottom, I've covered when to order so your gift shows up on time.
Holiday & Christmas Gifts
Most gardeners spend December looking at seed catalogs and counting the weeks until spring. A gift that grows through the winter, or blooms right in the middle of it, is a welcome thing.
A Citrus Tree for a Sunny Window
The Meyer Lemon Tree has been one of our best sellers for years. It grows happily in a pot, spends winter in a bright window, and moves outside once nights stay warm. Fragrant white blossoms come first, then lemons that are sweeter and less sharp than store-bought. For a twist, the Key Lime Tree works the same way. Add a bag of Espoma Plant-Tone and they have everything they need.
Hellebores: Flowers in the Snow
Hellebores, also called Lenten roses, bloom in late winter when almost nothing else will, often right through a dusting of snow. The Pink Frost Hellebore and Cinnamon Snow Hellebore are two I recommend often. They're long-lived, deer-resistant, and happy in shade. Browse the full hellebore collection.
Winter Heather
Mediterranean Pink Heather covers itself in tiny pink flowers from late fall into spring. It's a good pick for a gardener who wants winter color along a walkway or in a container by the front door.
A Living Christmas Tree
For someone without a yard, the Norfolk Island Pine is a soft, tiered evergreen that takes light ornaments well and keeps growing as a houseplant long after the holidays. Here's more on why it makes a great tabletop Christmas tree.
For a houseplant lover, a Peace Lily is hard to beat. It handles low light and tells you when it's thirsty by drooping, then perks right back up after a drink.
Valentine's Day Gifts
Roses and chocolate are gone in a week. A plant that blooms every year says something a little longer-lasting.
A Tree With Heart-Shaped Leaves
Redbuds have heart-shaped leaves, and the Burgundy Hearts Redbud takes it further with deep wine-colored foliage all summer after its pink spring flowers. For a smaller yard, the Ruby Falls Redbud is a weeping form with the same purple hearts.
A Rose Bush Instead of a Bouquet
The Love Rose Bush lives up to its name, with red petals and silvery-white undersides. If they'd rather not fuss over roses, the Red Drift Rose is a low, easy groundcover rose that blooms from spring to frost.
More Valentine's Picks
The Ann Magnolia brings purple-pink blooms in spring, and the French Kiss Hellebore is often flowering by mid-February. Indoors, the Red Anthurium has glossy, heart-shaped red blooms, and the String of Hearts trails tiny heart-shaped leaves over the edge of its pot.
For the full list, see Woodie's Picks: Love-Worthy Plants for Valentine's Day, or shop our Valentine's Day collection.
Mother's Day & Spring Gifts
Forget the bouquet this year and give her the garden. A flowering shrub planted in May blooms for her every spring after. Plant it together and it becomes a memory, too.
Fragrant Shrubs She'll Smell From the Porch
The Sensation Lilac has purple blooms edged in white and that classic lilac fragrance. Kleim's Hardy Gardenia is a compact gardenia with intensely fragrant white flowers, and it handles colder winters than most gardenias. White flowers also go with any garden, which helps when you're not sure what she already has.
Hydrangeas, Roses, and Peonies
The Endless Summer Reblooming Hydrangea blooms on old and new wood, so it keeps flowering into fall. The Pink Knock Out Rose is about as easy as roses get. For a cut-flower garden, the Duchesse de Nemours Peony is a fragrant white peony that can bloom for decades, and Phenomenal Lavender adds scent and pollinators to a sunny bed.
Also good for spring birthdays and Easter: gardenias, peonies, and lavender.
Housewarming Gifts
New homeowners usually have a yard they haven't figured out yet. One good tree is a gift they'll see from the kitchen window for years.
A Japanese Maple for the Front Yard
The Bloodgood Japanese Maple stays deep red from spring through fall and tops out around 15 to 20 feet, so it fits most front yards without crowding the house. Browse the full Japanese maple collection for weeping and dwarf types.
Easy Flowering Picks for a First Garden
The White Flowering Dogwood is a spring classic, and the Limelight Hydrangea is the hardest hydrangea to get wrong. It takes sun, blooms on new wood, and flowers every summer. Pair any tree with a DeWitt Dew Right Tree Watering Bag so that first summer of watering takes care of itself.
For an apartment or condo, a Meyer lemon or a peace lily from the holiday section works just as well.
Sympathy & Memorial Gifts
A tree planted in someone's memory keeps growing. It gives a family somewhere to go and something to tend, and it marks the seasons in a way a sympathy card can't.
Trees That Carry Meaning
The Weeping Yoshino Cherry Tree is one I come back to often. Its branches sweep toward the ground and fill with soft white blossoms each spring. The upright Yoshino Cherry Tree, the Eastern Redbud, and the Little Gem Magnolia are all good choices, depending on how much room there is.
For help choosing a tree and a spot, read our guide to planting trees as memorials. If the family doesn't have a yard, a Peace Lily is a traditional sympathy plant that does well indoors.
Gifts for Any Gardener: Tools & Gift Cards
Every gardener has a short list of tools they reach for every day. These are the ones I'd put on it.
Good Pruners
Felco 2 Pruning Shears are the pruners a lot of professionals carry. They cut clean, last for decades, and every part can be replaced. Give them once and they'll be used for the next 20 years.
Small Gifts and Stocking Stuffers
- Green Watering Can: a classic 2-gallon can for containers and new plantings.
- Corona Comfort Grip Trowel: a sturdy hand trowel for bulbs and perennials.
- Woodie's Root Booster Fertilizer: helps new plants root in faster. Tuck one in with any plant gift.
- Espoma Plant-Tone: an organic all-purpose plant food.
Gift Cards: Let Them Pick
When you're not sure what they need, a Garden Goods Direct gift card lets them choose their own trees, shrubs, and perennials when they're ready to plant. Send an e-gift card by email for a last-minute gift, or a physical gift card to tuck into a holiday card. It's also the right call in the dead of winter, when nobody can dig.
When Should I Order a Plant Gift?
How far ahead should I order a plant gift?
Order at least two weeks before the big day. In winter and summer, orders usually take 2 to 4 business days to process and pack. In spring and fall, our busiest seasons, plan on 4 to 6. FedEx Ground then takes 1 to 5 days depending on where it's headed.
For Mother's Day, that means ordering by late April. It's the height of spring shipping, so earlier is better.
Can I ship a plant gift straight to the person?
Yes. Just enter their address at checkout, and the plant ships to their front door. If it's in stock, we'll ship it anywhere, any time of year. It's the easiest way to send a gift to someone who lives far away.
What if the ground is frozen when the gift arrives?
If you can still dig, you can still plant. Trees and shrubs would rather be in the ground than sitting in a nursery pot. In the coldest part of winter, a houseplant, a winter-blooming hellebore, or a gift card is the safer choice. The gardener can pick out their plant when planting season comes back around. Some plants can also be pre-ordered, so you can lock in the gift now and we'll ship it when it's ready.
Woodie's Take
I've been giving plants as gifts for a long time, and I've never had one forgotten. A sweater ends up in a drawer. A dogwood ends up blooming outside someone's kitchen window every April.
Pick something that fits the person and the place they'll grow it. Order a couple of weeks ahead. And if you're stuck, a gift card and a note saying "let's plant it together this spring" is a pretty good gift on its own.