There are a few more weeks until Christmas, so there’s still time to scout out gifts for the gardener on your list! Luckily, I’m here to help. Who knows better what gardeners want than a gardener? Go beyond the common and expected gift, because that’s what we all buy for ourselves—if you combine a functional garden gift that also has exceptional quality or style, you’ve got it made.

Gardener’s Accessories: I go through one garden hat a year because I scrunch them up and throw them in my truck. These hats would never get abused that way! Remember other great accessories like a great pair of bamboo gloves, colorful or printed rubber rain boots, tall socks that coordinate with knee-high rain boots, skin care sets to soothe rough gardening hands, and jewelry with a botanical theme.

Garden Tools: Here’s where you can buy your gardener something they may not spring for themselves. They may not either want to spend the money on themselves, or go out on a limb for something that’s a bit unusual. Think awesome bypass pruners, a watering can in a punchy color, terrarium tools for tiny plants and tight spaces, an ergonomic hand weeder or a sectioned hand-tool organizer for the garden shed.

Garden Accents: I love these items—they’re functional but still decorative, and they really kick the garden up a notch with their style. A timeless glass cloche is a great gift for gardeners who have both outside and inside plants, as well as small glazed pottery for succulents, hanging glass orbs for window gardens, copper plant tags or a covered garden journal.

Plants: This might sound like a no-brainer, but go for gift plants that are beyond the ordinary and expected. No ivies, poinsettias or pothos, please!  Consider trying tiny African violets—but in an unexpected planter like antique wooden sugar molds—tillandsias, lithops, or lemon button fern. A great hostess gift for the next party you attend is a seasonal cyclamen in a bright red pot, or an amaryllis bulb packed in a gorgeous cache pot and topped with moss. Get your gardens going on an indoor windowsill herb garden with small pots in a wooden plant caddy and packets of seeds.

~Jenny Peterson