Thrill the gardeners, plant parents and outdoor entertainers on your list this Christmas or Hanukkah with gifts that will get them digging in the dirt and enjoying time outdoors. Here are our picks for the top garden gifts for the 2019 holiday season, with a special eye toward makers with a tie to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest (denoted with an L).
Urban Soule Concrete Garden Art: Concrete garden art and indoor-outdoor botanical sculptures cast in concrete add whimsy and style to the garden. Created by a Burien artist from real leaves, flowers, succulents and urchin shells, $15–$150 at urbansoule.com (L)
“Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest,” by Arthur R. Kruckeberg and Linda Chalker-Scott: The new third-edition from UW Press includes chapters on garden ecology and science, along with 948 color photographs to create an essential PNW resource, $40 at amazon.com (L)
Toysmith Beetle & Bee Garden Kids Garden Hand Tools: This kit out of Sumner, Washington, includes a functional sustainable-wood mini shovel, rake and trowel to get the kids into the garden, too, $9 at Snapdoodle Toys & Games (Greenwood) and shop.toysmith.com (L)
Earth Box Container Gardening System: This compact, sub-irrigated planter can grow a bounty of fruit, herbs or vegetables in just three square feet of space. It fits an apartment balcony and can roll indoors for winter, $33 at earthbox.com
For the Love of Gardening Gift Box: Local garden delights, including Seattle Seed Company’s Gardener’s Soap, Nail Brush and Culinary Seed Collection; a No Tox Life candle; and A Tea Leaf Brass Earrings come packaged in a reusable farmers market tote, $95 at Sfingiday (Fremont) and sfingiday.com (L)
Hay Terracotta Watering Can: This sleek, handle-free, two-liter watering can is made of weatherproof plastic with an elongated spout, $25 at Prism (Ballard)
The Orange Clove Plant Mom Hand Salve: A nourishing salve that soothes hardworking hands with certified organic calendula oil, sweet orange, helichrysum and sweet marjoram essential oils from a certified Seattle aromatherapist, $13 at DIGS (Ballard) and theorangeclove.com (L)
Back To The Roots Homegrown Hemp Kit: Try your hand at growing organic hemp (legally!) with this kit that includes instructions, compostable pots, non-GMO organic seeds and soil for starting your own little farm, $50 at uncommongoods.com
Jungle Jane’s Gardening Metal Planter Box DIY Garden Bed Planter Kit: This attractive, rust-resistant raised garden bed from Sequim is made of powder-coated, 20-gauge galvanized steel that’s easy to assemble, $164 at etsy.com/shop/JungleJanesGardening (L)
Click and Grow Smart Garden 3 Self-Watering Indoor Garden: Grow herbs indoors with this easy, self-watering indoor garden with LED lights and a reservoir that holds a month’s supply of water. Basil pods are included to get you started right away, $100 at Nordstrom
Glow Nomad Portable LED Lantern: This fun, portable lantern glows in the dark with 16 LED colors and five light modes for camping or patio partying, $75 at allsopgarden.com
West Coast Fire Pits Death Star Fire Pit: Watch the Death Star burn from your own backyard with this precision-cut, carbon steel fire pit hand-built on Vancouver Island, starting at $2,400 at westcoastfirepits.com (allow 6–8 weeks production time)
Foster Weld Yeti Hiker Sign: This handmade metal trail sign brings PNW whimsy to your backyard with an aged, faux-rusted finish, $40 at fosterweld.com
Wildlife World Bug & Bee Biome: A three-chamber habitat made from sustainably sourced wood attracts essential pollinators such as solitary bees and ladybugs, $30 at thegrommet.com
Newquist Forge Hand-Forged Garden Tools: These traditional, heirloom-quality garden tools are hand-forged by a blacksmith on the Olympic Peninsula, and feature hickory handles along with leaf-shaped hoes, and trowels made of tempered steel, $69 and up at newquistforge.etsy.com (L)
Victory Garden of Tomorrow “We’re In It Together” Sign: An aluminum sign from Portland that rekindles the hopeful vision of America’s old Victory Garden movement for a new age. Comes in a vintage design that celebrates unity and stewardship, $24 and up at victorygardenoftomorrow.com (L)
“A Garden Miscellany: An Illustrated Guide to the Elements of the Garden,” by Suzanne Staubach: Lovely illustrations make this informative book a pleasure to return to again and again, $27 at workman.com and amazon.com
Products have been independently selected and reviewed by the writer.