Since it seems like every day of the week brings another Black Friday sale, it’s hard to not think about holiday shopping. Obviously, we’re thinking about it, too, and we thought we’d pass along gift ideas for the gardener in your life. (If you’re a gardener, please share what you wish someone would give you in the comments.)

Chop Chop: The Kids Guide to Cooking Real Food with your Family

Chop Chop isn’t about gardening, but one reason we teach kids in the garden is to get them excited about fresh fruits and vegetables. Chop Chop does something similar in the kitchen. Each section teaches a different skill like how to roast a chicken followed by different meals to make that include roasted chicken. It’s probably best suited for third through fifth graders, though Farmer Caylor’s seventh grader has cooked most of the recipes and still uses her copy. The book was created by the nonprofit Chop Chop which publishes a kids magazine of the same name and hosts an online cooking club.

The Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast

O.k., back to gardening. When we teach workshops at E.A.T. South, this is THE book we recommend to all new gardeners. Divided into upper and lower south and Florida, the book offers gardeners a monthly guide of what to plant when along with information about composting, pest control and more. The author, Ira Wallace, is a nationally known seed breeder focusing on vegetable varieties adapted to the southeast and saving endangered heirloom vegetables.

Seed Company Gift Cards

All of our favorite seed companies offer gift cards or certificates. The worst part of being a gardener with a gift certificate is deciding among the hundreds of seed packets you want to buy. Seed gift certificates also are great last minute email-able gifts.

Here are some of our favorite seed companies: Southern Exposure Seed Company, TrueLove Seeds, Kitazawa Seeds, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, High Mowing Seeds, and Wild Garden Seeds.

Quality Garden Tools

Good tools can make gardening even more fun. (We don’t know how we’ve managed this long without a garden cart!) Quality tools will last a lifetime, but they can be a little pricey. If you’re able to give gardeners in your life the gift of good tools, it will be greatly appreciated.

Red Pig Tools makes wonderful weeders and other tools, hand-forged in Oregon.

Rogue Hoes sell garden hoes 1000 times better than anything you will find in a big box store.

Hoss Tools is a Georgia company that sells wheel hoes and other tools made in the U.S.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds also sells tools.

The Garden Tool Company sells Japanese and European-made tools, including high quality kids tools.

Hida Tools sells Japanese-made hoes, weeding tools, pruning saws with replaceable blades, along with kitchen and woodworking tools.

(Please note that these recommendations are based on our own use of some of these tools at one time or other. None of these companies are paying us, but if they notice and would like to send us some tools...)

A three year garden journal and cool garden merch

Eberhardt Press prints a beautiful and useful three year garden journal. True Love Seeds sells seed-themed calendars, postcards and greeting cards.

A donation to E.A.T. South

Ok, shameless E.A.T. South fundraising plug here, BUT when you donate to E.A.T. South you are providing educational programs, a beautiful open space, organically-grown produce, and the occasional snarky blog post for the River Region. Please consider a donation and help us continue to offer gardening classes for all ages and seeds and plants for all gardens.

Are you a gardener? What kind of garden gifts do you wish someone would give you?

Gift Ideas for Gardeners