When it comes to buying gifts for the botanical-lover in your life (or yourself!), we’ve got you covered. We’ve scoured the internet and have a couple of suggestions for you.
Here are some of our favorite items that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Honestly, stuff that we’d love to receive ourselves! 🙂
#1: Gorgeous Planters with drainage holes
If you’ve read any of our plant guides, you’d know that we are a stickler for pots with drainage holes. We simply can’t let a new plant baby rot in stagnant pools of water!
What better way than to choose an easy-draining planter for your tropical plant to stave away root rot?
Beyond functionality, we personally love pots with understated elegance. Symmetrical lines and undulating curves elevate the planter’s look, but keep the attention on squarely your growing masterpiece.
#2: LEVOIT Humidifier
If your plant-lover is living in a dry climate, keeping houseplants at their best can be challenging. According to Dr. Leonard Perry of the University of Vermont, most houseplants grow best in 70-80% humidity. Sadly, the average room humidity is ~30%!
Though using pebble trays helps boost moisture levels… by far the easiest and most convenient way to keep humidity high is to invest in a humidifier.
Our absolute favorite pick? The Levoit 6L. Here’s 4 reasons why we love it so:
- Easy remote control settings allow you to specify the required %humidity level, and viola. You’d be surprised at the number of humidifiers don’t have an in-built humidity reader.
- With a mist output of 500mL/H, this large (6L) capacity humidifier covers up to 753 square feet (70 square meters), more than adequate for a large room. It runs for up to 60hours, saving you from frequent refills.
- Hybrid warm and cool mist controls, which also run in an energy-efficient way.
- It is extremely quiet. Nothing worse than a maddening low hum of electronics. Am I right?
#3: Gooseneck Watering Can
And you thought gooseneck kettles were all the rage! We like the aesthetic of this gold, long spouted watering can. Pretty enough to display on a bookshelf as an ornamental piece, while serving a very practical purpose.
Speaking of practicality – a long spouted watering can encourages proper watering. That is, delivering a low volume of water slowly and deeply, until the pot is saturated. This nourishes the roots, and encourages deep root growth.
Another important plus point: the long, thin spout avoids wetting the foliage. For many houseplants, wet leaves run the risk of becoming a petri-dish of bacteria and fungi, which use stagnant water to breed and spore. This can easily lead to Leaf Spots or Blight, irreversibly damaging the leaves and requiring a fungicide to contain its spread.
KIBAGA Gold 40oz Watering Can - Easy Pour Gooseneck Spout
- long-spouted, avoids wetting the leaves
- low volume pour, allowing for deep & slow watering
- ergonomic handle
#4: Plant Propagation Station
Water propagation is an easy way to root stem cuttings, and one that is commonly used for Philodendrons and Pothos. This form of propagation ensures roots are developed before re-planting the stem cutting in soil. Overall, this increases the chances of successful propagation. 🙂
A stylish solution is this 3-part propagation station. Long bulb glasses are ideal for observing healthy root development. Propped up on a wooden stand, it is an elegant but functional way to propagate.
Plant Propagation Stations Terrarium with Wooden Stand, Desktop Air Planter Bulb Glass Vase,for Indoor Hydroponics Water Plants Home Garden Office Decoration Accessories ,Plant Holder Lover Gifts
#5: Curated Coffee Table Books
Curated for beautiful illustrations and readability, these coffee table books provide a bit of inspiration for the stylish plant-lover. And of course, thick, well-bound books sit pretty on a bookshelf or table top of your choice.
Not to wax lyrical, but there’s something serene about the combination of: the smell of a freshly-purchased book, captivating botanical illustrations, and a hot cup of coffee in hand. For us it spells reprieve from a hectic work day!
#6: Sharp Gardening Shears
When it comes to gardening shears, the sharper and sturdier the better. Delivering a clean cut reduces trauma to the wound site, and increases the chances of your plant recovering without infection.
When it comes to the simple joys of gardening, we can testify that nothing is quite as satisfying as using these Gonicc Professional shears. Sharp, unapologetic cuts let us prune and propagate to our hearts’ delight!
#7: DIY Pottery Planter Kit
For the crafty plant lover, this DIY pottery set makes a thoughtful gift. There is something therapeutic about working with your hands, and this all-in-one-craft kit comes with everything you need to build a sturdy cement planter from scratch.
Let it set then pair it with a houseplant to put it to good use. Personally, we are partial to pairing with a compact vining plant like a Philodendron Brasil.
#8: Wall Olive Wood and Moss Clock
An eye-catching clock indeed! We think the earthy combination of olive wood and preserved moss is striking, and brings a bit of greenery into your living spaces. The olive wood is naturally sanded down to a smooth finish, but retains its natural wood grains.
The preserved moss requires no maintenance. (We know the thought crossed your mind….)
This made-to-order wall clock boasts a customizable size and frame color. We personally love a black frame to contrast with the olive wood, though, that’s really up to you.
#9: Click and Grow vegetable and herb kit
If your loved one lives in an apartment, they may be tight on space to grow all the plants they want!
That’s why we love this compact Click and Grow kit. It’s perfect for growing herbs and vegetables on a windowsill in our kitchen. With built-in grow lights, you don’t have to fight for spots in the home that get natural light… freeing that up for houseplants!
The seed pods contain a prepared soil mix, so this little set-up is extremely convenient and ready-to-grow. We admit it is a little pricey… but aren’t gifts supposed to be things you wouldn’t necessarily splurge on for yourself? 🙂
#10: Moss Pole for Vining plants
Did you know that using a moss pole promotes faster growth and bigger and lusher leaves for climbing plants (like the Monstera Siltepecana and the Philodendron Brandtianum)? It seems incredible but true (read our article on moss poles to find out more).
Our personal favorite is the Totem Monkey brand, which comes with gardening ties to help prop your epiphyte against the pole. This encourages aerial roots to attach to the moss pole and start climbing.
They are made of coco coir with a sturdy wood center to keep the pole firmly in place. But our favorite feature is that they are stackable, so you can add on height as your plant grows!
Totem Monkey Moss Pole for Plants Monstera - 26.4 Inch Coir Totem Plant Support - 2 x 15.7 Inch Coco Sticks for Climbing Indoor Potted Plants - 20 Paper Twist Ties - Train Creeper House Plants Grow
#11: Puzzles for the Botanical Lover
A less traditional gift is a botanical-themed puzzle. After assembling the puzzle, you can do what we did – that is, frame it up and hang it as wall decor.
We did one during the height of COVID-19, when lockdowns were aplenty… the 1,000 piece puzzle kept us entertained as we stayed indoors for most of the month. It can even be a family weekend activity.
Plus – it’s a versatile gift that ships easily for those living far away from their loved ones.
Deborah is a plant enthusiast and founder of Gardening Collective.