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Christmas 2015: 10 best gardening gifts

Give the green-fingered relative or friend a present worthy of their prized patch

Monday 30 November 2015 10:38 GMT

It may be a fallow time for most gardeners but plans for the new growing season will be given a boost by this selection of seasonal gifts.

1. Buon Gustaio Gourmet Collection: £19, Seeds of Italy

The stylish retro design of the Il Franchi seed packets are always a gifting winner. The Gourmet Collection with their wonderfully named choice of seeds will keep any home grower harvesting produce throughout the year. Collection contains: Courgette Romanesco, Cavolo Nero di Toscana, Black Radicchio of Treviso Svelta, Borlotti Bean Lamon, Wild Rocket Restaurant Quality, Cauliflower Romanesco, Long Red Onion of Florence, Pumpkin Delica and Romaine Lettuce Lentissima.

2. Wire Garden Basket: £28, Labour and Wait

Crafted from galvanised steel wire, this garden basket from Labour and Wait was dates from the early 20th century and was initially used for harvesting potatoes. Delicate enough to carry prize blooms and also practical as the open mesh design allows loose dirt from freshly picked produce to fall off.

3. Tough Touch Gardening Gloves: £25.95, Gold Leaf Gardening Gloves

We're a big fan of the Gold Leaf range of gardening gloves and always have a pair of the lightweight, Dry Touch gloves to hand. These Tough Touch, gauntlet-style glove are designed for use on heavier, thornier garden tasks. Once again, the suppleness and strength to the leather allows for great dexterity and protection when wielding the secateurs.

4. Great Dixter Smock: £45.99, Great Dixter Shop

Head Gardener at Great Dixter, Fergus Garrett, has designed this roomy and practical gardening smock to his own specifications. Made from beautifully soft but tough 100 per cent cotton drill, the smock, which comes in a variety of colours, has four useful pockets with strengthened bottoms to hold your tools.

5. Copper Indoor Metal Watering Can: £59.99, The Chelsea Gardener

It's an indulgence, but this pretty polished copper watering can with brass rose will look lovely on display when not in use. Ideal for house plants, window boxes and small hanging baskets with a one litre capacity, so more suited for the indoor gardener.

6. Urban Insect Homes: £44.98 (for two), RSPB

Encouraging helpful wildlife that benefits your plants and crops does not have to be an entirely rustic and worthy enterprise. Weighty and with a beautiful outer shell made from eco-friendly Claypas (a mix of recycled plastic and clay), the Urban Insect Homes from the RSPB are a stylish, contemporary and practical addition to any garden, whatever the planting scheme

7. Garden Kneeler: £34, Carrier Company

A really thick and comfortable kneeler made from tough water and rotproof canvas. Features include a jute carry/hanging handle and pocket in the front to store a trowel or gloves.

8. Felco FEL2 Model 2 Original Secateurs: £33.49, Amazon

There are cheaper alternatives but Felco claims that their secateurs are recognised as the finest in the world by horticulturists, professional growers and discerning gardeners in more than 80 countries. Every Felco secateur is subjected to more than 100 quality control processes before leaving the factory. The Swiss precision made blades are replaceable and the ergonomic styling guarantee them a long lasting spot in the tool shed.

9. Sneeboer Slim Handspaten Ash 4014: £34.17, Amazon

This is hand-made in Holland with and an individually shaped and polished blade hand-forged in stainless steel. Beautifully crafted, beautifully balanced – who knew a trowel could be so stylish. It's a joy to use with the longer, narrower blade making it ideal for planting out long rooted seedlings and plants, removing pesky tap rooted weeds and reaching those hard to get at areas of the garden border.

10. Hozelock Aquadeco Globes: £12.59, Amazon

Hozelock’s pretty, hand-made, mouth-blown glass globes are a well-priced and decorative solution for self-watering plants. Simply fill with water and place in compost and soil and the water is released according the plant’s needs through capillary action.

Verdict

The quality craftsmanship of the Sneeboer Trowel makes for a truly elegant tool shed mainstay and the Gold Leaf Gardening Gloves cannot be beat on comfortable practicality but it is the stylish (without being worthy) Urban Insect Homes from the RSPB that are an eco-friendly design winner in my gardening book.