Every gardener you know already owns a trowel, which is exactly why a trowel makes a poor present. The best gifts for gardeners under £25 are the small, slightly indulgent things nobody buys for themselves: a really good pair of gloves, a pot of seeds with a story, a hand cream strong enough for February hands. This guide gathers twelve thoughtful gift ideas for gardeners, each under £25, chosen with a cottage garden in mind, with the prices you can expect in the UK.
How I chose these gifts for gardeners
I looked for things that get used every week: tools with a proper feel in the hand, seeds that suit a British climate, and a few pieces that make a gardener’s days outdoors nicer. These are plain links, not affiliate links, so I earn nothing from them. Prices are approximate, so check before you order.
Under £10: little gifts that still feel chosen
1. Scented sweet pea seeds (£3–£8)
Sweet peas, nigella and cornflowers are the soul of a cottage garden. A named, scented sweet pea packet from a British seed house is lovely to open on a grey January morning. Browse sweet pea seeds.
2. Biodegradable seed pots (£5–£10)
Plain and useful. Anyone who sows in spring always runs short of pots. Browse seed pots.
3. Jute twine and copper plant labels (£5–£9)
Unfussy and pretty, and used all season. Browse plant labels.
4. A gardener’s hand cream (£8–£15)
Hands take a beating from soil and cold. A rich cream gets used up, which is the best kind of gift. Browse hand creams.
£10 to £18: a step up
5. Soft, well-fitting gardening gloves (£10–£18)
Thin leather or coated gloves in a proper fit are the present most gardeners wish they had been given. Check the size first. Browse gardening gloves.
6. A bulb planter (£12–£20)
Daffodils and tulips can still go in now, and a bulb planter saves knees. Browse bulb planters.
7. A kneeling pad (£10–£20)
Unglamorous, deeply appreciated. Browse kneelers.
8. A pocket garden knife (£10–£20)
Handy for twine, cuttings and compost bags. Browse garden knives.
9. Good secateurs on a budget (£15–£25)
A bypass pair with a comfortable grip is the tool that gets most use among roses and shrubs. Avoid very cheap anvil secateurs that crush stems. Browse secateurs.
£18 to £25: the nicest ones
10. A hand trowel and fork set (£18–£25)
Stainless steel heads and hardwood handles. The “I know you already have a trowel, but this one is lovely” gift. Browse trowel sets.
11. The Cottage Garden Notebook (my own)
I designed this notebook for exactly this kind of gardener: 120 undated pages for sowing, planting, what flowered when and what to change next year. Hardback (5.5 × 8.5 in) or A5 paperback. View it on Amazon UK. See also keeping a cottage garden journal.
12. The Wildflower Coloring Book (my own)
A gentle gift for winter evenings when the garden is asleep: botanical wildflower illustrations to colour in. View it on Amazon UK.
How to wrap them well
Skip the paper. Gather two or three small items into a trug, a terracotta pot or a basket and tie it with jute. A pot of seeds, gloves, hand cream and a notebook looks far more generous than it cost, and the container gets reused.
Timing the order
Seed packets and hand creams sell out in December, so order in November. For a book gift, see my six cottage reads. For the very smallest presents, my guide to stocking fillers for gardeners follows on Friday.
