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So, you’re looking for gifts for plant lovers? I’m guessing once you learned you could buy plants online mid-quarantine, you went wild figuring out how to grow your own vegetables and tending to your herb garden. Maybe you became a helicopter plant parent. Maybe you engaged in some newbie plant propagation with your scallions (remember those days?). Maybe you’ve tasted your first bite of homegrown tomato or carefully wiped the leaves of your fiddle leaf fig free of dust for months on end—and now you’re in love with all things gardening.
Sure, before the pandemic you’d never have thought to give (or register for) plant gifts. Maybe you’re celebrating the holidays or getting married (or attending a wedding) a different person than you were in 2019—a plant person—and that’s a good thing! Keep the gardening streak going (or growing!) long past the pandemic boom with a new plant.
Wondering where to start? Our favorite online plant shops Bloomscape and The Sill are always solid options for buying plants online. From a registry standpoint, Zola has everything you could need to outfit your home in greenery as well, including plants, planters, and gardening tools. Look to Etsy for stylish seed packets as well as handmade planters. And perhaps surprisingly, Amazon is a big winner in the best gifts for plant lovers category, especially if you browse Costa Farms, one of the most reliable online nurseries available through the retailer.
Below is our gift guide for plant lovers, including the actual plants we think make terrific gifts, planters that will hold them beautifully (and give them a great place to grow, with optimal draining opportunity), and, finally, a few gardening tools we love from a utility standpoint, of course, but that are also stylish enough to give to someone special.
The greenery
If you’re a new gardener, or shopping for a loved one who is a new gardener, start with a comparatively low-maintenance house plant, like the stately fiddle leaf fig. Or go for a favorite plant of the millennial aesthetic, the monstera. Or gift the charmingly squiggle-leafed bird’s nest fern. Opt for a super easygoing aloe plant or succulent if you think your plant-loving friend might forget to water their new housemate. If space is limited, consider a plant hanger or petite air plant. Finally, Etsy is a great place to buy seed packets with cute packaging.
The planter pots and plant stands
When it comes to indoor plants, the pot itself is nearly as important as the plant—especially with a big varietal like a fiddle leaf or grown-up aloe. These striking but neutral options in wood, brushed metal, and terra-cotta are the ideal gifts for plant lovers, no matter their interior design style preferences. And for the couple with plenty of pots to show off (and plants too, of course) consider a multilevel plant stand. A DIY terrarium kit, complete with succulents, sand, and cacti soil mix, makes for a nice holiday gift.
The gardening tools
A slender-spouted watering can always comes in handy (and looks good around the house!). If you’re low on light, you might want to opt for a grow light to give plants an extra boost of artificial sunshine (we found an eminently gifty one that looks like a cool light fixture rather than the typical eyesore). And if you’re planning on outdoor gardening, consider adding a set of tools to your registry—or at least this hori hori, the tool our resident green thumb, staff writer Wilder Davies, swears by above all other gardening tools. Who doesn't want to tote this charming garden trug around?
Gifts for the horticulturally challenged
Of course, not everybody is destined to be a successful plant parent. Yes, there’s always some trial and error for beginners, but there are also plenty of people who love the idea of having foliage surrounding them, but don’t have the time or energy to be a full-fledged horticultural enthusiast. For the people with dried and crunchy herbs on their window sill, high-quality faux foliage can actually be a unique gift (don’t worry, it’s interior designer approved). Otherwise, a lovely botanical coffee table book is a good substitute for the real thing.
