the gather gift guide
My wish list gift guide
I know I am meant to put these in some sort of order. Things like 'for the difficult man in your life' or 'drinkables' (urgh). I am usually a very organised and structured, lists sort of person, but this is a pure outpouring of joy and lust. Just scroll until something catches your eye.
Or screenshot and WhatsApp to your spouse/lover/close family member.
Photo by Lucy of Tuck It In Quilts
Lunar calendar
I clapped eyes on this and knew I had to have it. I have already ordered my one of these but Lucy, the creator, promises me she is restocking. I can just see it hanging from a vintage bulldog clip in my studio.
I found some of the links inside the website a bit tricky but if you use the direct link here, you should go straight to it.
Copper tools
Beware of imitations. I keep seeing super-cheap copper plated trowels and dibbers popping up in unepected places. I don’t trust them. I only go with Charles Dowding’s recommendation and buy Implementations. I use my copper trowel every day and I have also treated myself to hand hoe. The Future Kept stock the copper fork (as well as a lot of other incredible things; before I opted for charity donations only, I have managed to do an entire Christmas shopping on their website).
Other tools available from the makers at Implementations.
Image by Hawes
Brass watering lance
I know, you might sense a theme in metallic garden tools but this was another one of those things that I saw in a photo and I did not rest until I had found it and bought it. This brass lance is absolutely invaluable for watering the greenhouse. I can plug it into the tap in the corner and sprinkle (rather than drench) young plants and my overwintering tenders with ease.
The fact that I also feel like the heroine of a romantic novel is a bonus. It truly is beautiful. The downside? It made me want to replace my hosepipe, the scruffiness seemed unbearable.
Mine is from Hawes, but there are some other options, especially if you are in the States. This Gardenista post has some crackers.
Niwaki tools
I have said it before and I will say it again. I don’t use Niwaki tools because I sell them; I stock them because I adore them. I also think really good snips and secateurs bypass the thorny issue of whether they might have already got some, because everyone needs multiple pairs of them. (Ditto gardening gloves, hand-made mugs, nice pens.)
I might even take some out of my stores and wrap them up and put them in my own stocking.
Remember the 10% off code for Gather members. Everything except trees and ladders on the Niwaki website with the code GAAW22. Or 25% off Sentei snips, secateurs and kenzans in the Christmas shop.
Aussie boots
A huge thank you to Gather member and all round incredible human being Kat Goldin for this tip. The boots that I adore and that everyone seems to be wearing these days are super-pricey in Toast. Kat shared a link for the bargain-site Aussie Boots which means that I don't feel nearly as guilty for asking for a set of these to see me through the rest of winter.
In coffee shops and out to lunch though obviously. These are too good for the garden.
Notebooks
I have been wondering about counting up the spare notebooks I have. As in, the notebooks that I can't bring myself to write in and I keep for 'best'. I chose not to do such a dreadful thing, and instead go to Paperchase and replace the one notebook that I do use on a daily basis. But it was three for two, and I came out with a whole stack of them.
I adore stationery and so I frequently give it as a gift, mostly as a hint to the recipient about what I love.
Personalised notebooks are even more wonderful, and also prevents any last-minute changes of heart. I have been known to substitute someone else's paper-based gift with a big box of chocolates if I can't bring myself to let it go. You can either ask Papier to print on them, or you can use labels to add a loving touch.
Obviously, if you are buying for a flower loving friend, the Bloom magazine that I adore so much have produced a gardener's journal and I think it looks rather wonderful. Bloom is the epitome of style in my book.
saved seed
I will admit to being a little biased, but I would be overjoyed by getting seeds for Christmas. Sweet peas are an absolute winner because the seed is so easy to save and to package, and you can sow it on Boxing Day. Oh, and the flowers are beautiful too. You have the option of creating your own colour mix, or just sharing the love for one single variety. Depends how good you were at labelling in the autumn.
I have some C7 envelopes which are perfect. If you want me to add some of the glassine inners (you’ll need them for any small seed) when you order, just drop me a line.
Photo of my pots by Dean Hearne
Pots
I am particular about my pots. I just don’t like the rim that goes around the modern pots. Yes, I am an absolutely awful snob. Quite a few of mine have been broken in the process of so much thatch being thrown around in the courtyard and I am trying not to be very sad about it. A gift of some more vintage pots would be just the thing, especially if they were already potted up with snowdrops, a few crocus bulbs, or even a lovely thyme plant.
It is worth having a look round reclamation and salvage yards for this, and many seem to be popping up on Facebook marketplace if you can bear it.
books
Books. Perfect for Christmas Day afternoon in an armchair. Easy to wrap. There is a lot to commend them. And it does seem to be a golden age for wonderful coffee table books.
Here is where I think you must judge the recipient wisely. I think the world is divided into those who like truly useful books, and those who like beautiful books. I know I am being controversial, but I believe there are few that really manage both. Earlier this year, I decided I have enough beautiful books (and they don’t fit vertically on my bookshelves), and I am now going to buy only useful books. For the Love of Soil was a great choice, as was The Regenerative Grower's Guide to Garden Amendments.
I have finished neither, but I am very much looking forward to my fortnight’s Christmas break and getting stuck in.
Digital gifts
A year’s Gather membership would be top of my list (and if you are reading this, you get to gift it at a discount) but there are plenty of other digital gifts for those who truly have enough stuff. If you are into Substack, you can gift subscriptions. Create Academy do gift cards, as do Aesme Studio, who are about to release a beautiful new course. A digital magazine subscription is great for lots of people, including children of a difficult age. I was slow to get behind this but now I can’t remember the last time I saw a physical copy of Gardens Illustrated apart from in the waiting room at work.
If you have any other suggestions that you think Gather simply must know about, drop them in the comments below.
Merry Christmas!