Holiday Gift Guide 2015: The Green Thumb
From tools to tomes, present ideas for expert gardeners and succulent-killers alike
Whether buying for an expert gardener who has acres of backyard or an apartment-dwelling succulent-killer, there’s something for every kind of plant enthusiast this season. From beautiful watering cans that double as vases, to traditional Japanese gardening tools and even books about plants (for those with the heart but not the touch, regarding taking care of greenery), our gift guide for green thumbs—of all skill levels—has you covered this holiday season.
Kokedama Moss Ball with Fern
This Kokedama ($48) from NYC-based The Sill is a bundle of green joy wrapped in a moss ball. An art-form developed by the Japanese, it’s an eye-catching way to hold plants, setting them free from pots or planters—you can even hang them. Choose from three different ferns and toss out your typical succulents to make room for this living sculpture. Best of all, the Kokedama doesn’t require a lot of maintenance beyond a weekly five-minute bath—staying true to The Sill’s mission to make beautiful, unique indoor plants much more accessible (and less scary). National shipping available.
Mint Watering Pot
Handcrafted from porcelain, Dutch designer Elke van den Berg’s mint-green watering pot (€89) is not just beautiful to look at, but also multi-functional. Dishwasher-safe, with a glistening inner-glaze that contrasts its matte outside, the pot features a slim nozzle—making it ideal for watering smaller indoor plants. And if you’re a notorious plant-killer: it makes for a lovely vase.
Terra Hydro Terrarium
These copper-edged glass terrariums ($190) crafted by a designer duo from Ichikawa, Japan exhibit the beauty of the entire plant. With one compartment to hold the water and another to suspend the plant, this unique vase allows you to observe both the succulent and its intricate root system thrive and grow.
Rocket Planter
Made in Melbourne, Australia, Retro Print Revival’s Rocket Planters ($395 AUD) are a sleek and sophisticated way to decorate your house with greenery. Crafted using fiberglass, brass and Tasmanian Blackwood, the design (which is available in two sizes) is super-clean and inspired by mid-century modern lines. It’s a welcoming home for a plant, hopefully encouraging a blastoff to growth.
Strange Plants Box Set
Folch Studio and editor Zio Baritaux created the Strange Plants books ($98) to explore contemporary artists who turn to flora as their muse—in the studio, and in personal life. Covering Lee Kwang-Ho’s hyperrealist cacti paintings to plant-inspired flash tattoo art, the two beautifully designed hardcovers delve into this fascination with nature through interviews, commissioned pieces and even sticker versions of the featured artwork to customize the books’ covers and pages.
Indoor Green
Full of bright and cheery photography by Lauren Bamford with words by Mr Kitly owner Bree Claffey, “Indoor Green: Living With Plants” ($50 AUD) is a hardcover tome that celebrates the power of flora. Showing off homes all over the world, the book reveals the complicated and stupidly-simple ways in which a little greenery can transform an interior. And, if you can’t keep a plant alive, you can always use the book as a decorative piece itself.
Hori Hori All-Purpose Digging Knife
Made from high-quality carbon steel, this 11-inch Hori Hori ($30) (“hori” meaning “to dig” in Japanese) is perfect for repotting indoor or outdoor plants and getting rid of pesky weeds. Part knife and part spade, its blade is serrated to get through roots and tough soil. Complete with a gold-decorated vinyl sheath, a hori hori is essential for the devoted green thumb.
Microgarden Indoor Greenhouse
The clever Microgarden is a foldable greenhouse in which to grow vegetable sprouts. Perfect for small spaces, Microgarden ($26) blends an appealing, simple design with reliable functionality. Made from a transparent, recyclable and waterproof material, the origami-inspired product comes complete with seeds to begin your own microgreen-growing revolution.
Garden-in-a-Bag: Organic Mint
Good things come in small packages, and Potting Shed Creations has plenty of them. Their Garden-in-a-Bag range—complete with seeds for everything from cat grass to dill, plus growing medium and coconut husks for drainage—is a gift that encourages getting your hands dirty. Our seed of choice is mint (perfect for cooks and cocktail enthusiasts), which fills the air with a refreshing fragrance.
Emerald Garden Pillowcases
These 300 thread count pillowcases ($40) will brighten any bedroom, no matter how gloomy the weather outside might be. Digitally printed on 100% cotton, The Club of Odd Volumes’ Emerald linen celebrates nature—and with no weekly watering necessary they’re perfect for not-so-nurturing plant enthusiasts.
Images courtesy of respective brands
