Ostensibly, plant lovers and gardeners should be the easiest people to shop for. Just get them a plant, right?
Wrong. (Well, most of the time.) I review
indoor hydroponic gardens for WIRED and have been a proud plant parent for almost 30 years, so I can say that even if you have a running mental catalog of all your recipients' plants and know which ones they don't yet have, you may not know what they have space for, or what they're looking to switch up to this gardening season.
In general, the best gifts are ones that work with the plants and garden they already have, or that help them care for them. I've dug through the dirt to vet, research, and real-world test gifts that will earn their keep, whether your recipient has a single cactus on a windowsill or a multi-acre farm.
Updated June 2026: I've added a book about growing medicinal herbs, a watering can, and a frame that doubles as a grow light.
Plants as Art An Easy-Care Countertop Garden A Stylish Propagation Station For Foolproof Planting A Strong Grow Light An Artful Watering Can Automate Your Plant Care For Keeping Houseplant Leaves Clean and Healthy Fine-Tune Your Outdoor Garden Grow Your Own Indoor Salad Grow Your Own Mushrooms Grow Your Own Medicinal Herbs A Decorative Indoor Trellis and Plant Saucers Succulents in the Mail For Making Compost Indoors Modular Landscape Blocks A Do-It-All Cart A Candle That Smells Like Tomatoes A Quality Pair of Gloves
Plants as Art
It's difficult to overstate just how cool this 32" x 5" x 11" metal grow-light frame looks in person, which was inspired by shadowbox planters the creator saw in Paris. It not only adds a sleek, contemporary vibe to just about any home decor style, but it also isn't as bright as a traditional grow light, so it's not disruptive to keep in your living space. You can set an on-and-off schedule and adjust the brightness in Modern Sprout's app, or just turn it on and off manually with a switch on the 9-foot cord. The light can accommodate fruiting, flowering, or vegetative plants, such as herbs; I use it to display succulents (and a random N'Joy pothos cutting). Note that it weighs 8 pounds by itself, and the included mounting hardware does not have drywall anchors. You may want to grab some at the hardware store, as I did.
An Easy-Care Countertop Garden
Lettuce Grow is better known for its elaborate
Farmstand models, but last year the brand released a no-fuss, no-pump, giftable setup that uses the Kratky method of hydroponic gardening. Just fill the three science-lab-looking amber beakers to the fill line, add a few droppers full of the included liquid nutrients, and set your seedlings on one of the included wicks. The wick will draw water up to the plant until its roots can grow down into it. That's all it takes—an optional 7-watt, 18-inch-tall LED lamp will shine for your choice of either 16 or 18 hours from when you first push the button, and you should have edible leaves within three weeks. (Note that Lettuce Grow says the set will fit beneath most kitchen cabinets, but the light precluded it from fitting under mine.)
This is more of a decorative system than one that produces noteworthy yields—a typical weekly harvest consisted of several leaves from each plant—but it requires virtually no care aside from refilling the beakers, and you don't have to worry about it while you're on vacation. Choose either basil, lettuce, and green onion; basil, green onion, and cilantro (the set I tested); or from a larger selection for a later delivery date.
A Stylish Propagation Station
Propagation tubes as decor is not a new concept, but not everyone has the table or shelf space for the number of tubes they need. This hanging version comes in small, medium, or large sizes, as well as your choice of wood finishes. There's also a white version with colored tubes if your recipient wanted to hang it in front of a window for a stained-glass effect. (They may want to treat the tubes with hydrogen peroxide first to avoid algae growth.)
Pair one with a
gift card to Palmstreet, an online marketplace for live plants in the vein of Etsy or Poshmark. The app's a bit cumbersome, but I had a surprisingly great time buying mystery boxes of houseplant cuttings to fill my own propagation tubes. Unwrapping each cutting was its own gift—I had no idea what specimens I was going to get, some of which ended up being quite interesting and/or rare. (Boxes average about $15 to $25.)
For Foolproof Planting
Sol Soils products are on the pricier side, but if you know a plant lover who has a black thumb—or who just appreciates the best of the best—this line of
specialty houseplant potting mixes, additives, and amendments is among the best I've ever tried. The houseplant chunky mix ($13) looks like an odd jumble of coconut husk chips, bark, pumice, and other bits and bobs, but it has saved many an ailing seedling in my household from the brink of death. Especially when paired with the Repot Recovery ($13) repotting shock treatment and Monthly Myco Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculant ($13), a beneficial fungus that will help roots better absorb nutrients. All Sol Soils products are available for purchase individually, but if you're not sure what your giftee may want or need, the themed gifting bundles are a great place to start.
A Strong Grow Light
Grow lights are critical for keeping houseplants
happy in winter, and I like this full-spectrum model from LetPot due to the size of its lamp (2 x 3 feet), which keeps plants and seedlings from becoming leggy, and the fact it can hang or stand. While on its stand, the light can rotate around 360 degrees to be positioned where you need it, and while it works with LetPot's app, it also sports a corded remote with buttons for adjusting the light intensity. Do note, however, that while the box says the stand can extend to 72 inches, I was only able to get it up to about 60 inches, so if you have really tall plants, you may need to go with the hanging option.
An Artful Watering Can
I've been looking to add a watering can to this guide for more than a year, but none of the ones I've tried made the cut. Until now. A good watering can should have a long spout for reaching plants on shelves or on longer tables, and water flow that's neither too slow nor too fast. It should hold enough water for more than a couple of plants, but not be too heavy to carry around, and also look good enough to sit out on display. This handmade borosilicate glass model hits all these points. It holds 32 ounces of water and comes in five colors (shown is Lilac/Emerald), and the fluted top makes it easy to fill yet hard to spill. Note that it is fragile, however, so it's probably best in a home without small children or boisterous pets.
Automate Your Plant Care
This might be one of the most useful houseplant tools I have ever used, outside of a watering can. Planta is an app that serves as a central clearinghouse for your houseplants and their care needs. With Planta's Premium subscription, it will set fertilizing and watering schedules based on more than 30 parameters, including local weather data, and will even turn your phone into a light meter to help you find the best spot for that particular species. I've been using Planta Premium for about five months (as anyone who's been around me knows, as they've probably heard me talk about it), and these care schedules have resulted in tons of new growth on my existing plants.
The app also has a “Dr. Planta” diagnosis feature, where you can submit photos of plant problems to see what might be wrong and how you can fix it. Premium's most recent update included a new Quick Add tool, which will immediately assess any new plant additions to your household, the size and type of pot they're in, and the nearby light conditions, helping to dial in an even more customizable care schedule.
For Keeping Houseplant Leaves Clean and Healthy
Houseplants have a tendency to gather dust, especially on high shelves or in particularly dusty areas like near a litter box. This is bad news for plant health any time, but especially so
during the winter months, when leaves need as much light as they can get. If your giftee has plants with lots of long, thin leaves, like a corn plant or ponytail palm, the Goha Leaf Sweep is an invaluable tool—it features little microfiber “socks” that fit over lockable plastic tongs, so you can clean both sides of the leaves at the same time. I also like to lock it in place and use one side at a time for plants with larger leaves, like monstera or philodendron. The “sock” covers can be rotated in order to use every bit of clean surface, and are also fully machine washable.
Fine-Tune Your Outdoor Garden
There are companies that will analyze a sample of your water, but did you also know there are companies that will analyze a sample of your garden soil? If you've been having failure after failure in your same raised bed, pot, or garden plot, that site may still be salvageable—you don't have to admit permanent defeat and move all gardening projects indoors. (
As I did a couple of years ago.) Just Good Soil will tell you exactly what's wrong. A mail-order test is only $35, which will measure pH and 12 essential nutrients. In about a week you'll get the results to your online portal, which will provide exact recommendations on how you can improve conditions. Just Good Soil sells its own line of fertilizers and supplements, but you can also use your own.
Grow Your Own Indoor Salad
This little six-pod hydroponic garden from my guide to the
Best Indoor Gardening Systems offers decent yields with minimal fuss—all functions can be controlled by pushing or holding a single embossed AeroGarden logo on the top. (Once for on or off, five seconds for changing the time of day the light comes on, etc.) If you know someone who's hydroponic-curious but intimidated by apps, pH testing, and the thought of daunting maintenance, this system is regularly on sale for under $100 and comes in five colors, including red, black, white, green, and “mocha.” However, note that it does NOT come with its own seeds or sponges, so you'll want to throw in some grow sponges so your giftee can plant their own seeds. Some online reviews note longevity concerns, but mine has been in constant use for seven months with no issues yet.
Grow Your Own Mushrooms
You have probably seen other brands' versions of this kit, but those are usually stored dehydrated and are only good for one fruiting, if you're lucky. North Spore's are shipped fresh, with an enclosed little squirt bottle for keeping moist (sorry), so they'll be good for multiple fruitings. My pink oyster mushroom block is about to have its third. Oyster mushrooms are typically the most beginner-friendly, and North Spore offers two different kinds—
pink and blue, as well as trendy lion's mane if your recipient is a more experienced mycologist.
Suppose your giftee loves growing mushrooms but has graduated to more challenging varieties. In that case, North Spore makes an
automated monotub ($150) that can be paired with either substrate or the brand's fruiting blocks. It keeps the growing environment with the proper airflow and humidity, and I've grown so many mushrooms in mine that I've turned into a Crazy Mushroom Lady, leaving bags on neighbors' porches and chasing down acquaintances in the grocery store.
(Note that the photo above shows golden oyster mushrooms, which mycologists are investigating as a
potential invasive species. North Spore says it is currently phasing out its yellow oyster mushroom kits while it works on developing a sporeless strain.)
Grow Your Own Medicinal Herbs
I get pitched a lot of gardening-related books for this guide, but this new-release hardcover from Texas-based gardening influencer Vanessa Minton, of
From the Garden, is one of the more useful and well-organized ones I've seen in a long time. It'd make a great gift for those interested in natural medicine or just gardening in general. You can start with the basics, like design, hardiness zones, and soil requirements, or search by plant—each plant page provides the medicinal properties, growing and planting information, and ways it can be used (infused oil, tincture, tea, poultice, syrup). The recipes for things like infused salts, herbal teas, and syrups are detailed yet easy to follow, but it's also just plain fun to read straight through.
A Decorative Indoor Trellis and Plant Saucers
If your friend or loved one is supporting their vines or floppy potted plants with
bendable moss poles or, worse, a jerry-rigged ladder made out of duct taped pencils (it was an emergency, OK?), treat them to one of these hand-finished, laser-cut plant supports. There are staked and modular versions (my favorite is the wonderful-smelling, extendable redwood Zella) as well as coasters, wall mounts, and saucers that water your plants from the bottom. I have tested many of them—including the classic versions—and all have added a dash of style while lending critical structure to floppy and vining plants. Can't pick just one? Check out Treleaf's collection of gift bundles.
Succulents in the Mail
Lula's Garden's heart-shaped box is featured in our guide to the
Best Flower Delivery Services, and since then, I have had multiple people recommend the brand to me. I have now tried it, and I have to agree—this is an excellent gift. It's fun, stylish, and priced the same as or even less than transient flowers. Not everyone is inclined to take care of a houseplant, but succulents are super easy to care for, and the box they arrive in doubles as a planter. All you have to do is unbox and use the included pipette to add a few squirts of water. The gardens are contemporary yet neutral enough to fit in with just about any decor. Just a heads up that unboxing the gardens that come with rocks (like the Bliss) may be a little messy, but the more premium gardens (like the Urban) don't have any loose parts and come out of the box looking exactly as they do online.
For Making Compost Indoors
As seen in our guide to the
Best Kitchen Composters, the Reencle Prime doesn't fully make ready-to-use compost, but it comes the closest out of any of the major brands. It functions a lot like a heated trash can—just throw your kitchen scraps in, and microbes will break them down over time into a sort of loamy mixture. When the volume of the Prime reaches the fill line, the mixture can be scooped out and added at a 1:4 ratio with potting soil, then left to cure for three weeks. After this, it can be used for both outdoor and indoor plants. Not only will it free up space in your giftee's trash can and cut down on dangerous greenhouse gas production, it will make their plants happy.
Modular Landscape Blocks
It's frustrating to spend untold time and money on your garden vision, only to find that landscaping elements like real rock walls and edging can cost thousands of dollars. If your giftee loves making their garden pop, these
PolyRock blocks come in modular, six-block sections about 4 feet long. They slot neatly together like Legos, look exactly like real rock, and are flexible, so you can use them straight or curve them into a circle. No digging or leveling is required, and they're easy to detach and move around if you change your mind or design plans. You can choose from gray, brown, black, or white tones. I have a strip of gray blocks installed along the front of my house, and more than one neighbor has thought it was real rock. The adjacent grass has even been cut with a string trimmer every week for months, and there's still nary a scratch on the blocks.
A Do-It-All Cart
Don't torture yourself with an inefficient wheelbarrow! A garden cart might seem like an odd gift at first, but this is the all-category MVP of my yard and household. It not only carries mulch, plants, and yard tools, but it can also tote up to 600 pounds for the small version and 1,200 pounds for the large, which has allowed me to transport everything from giant
pizza ovens to bags of smoker pellets. The cart's got a quick-release dump latch on the front and pneumatic tires that handle mud and sand with no problem. I've tested other carts in the past, but this is the only one that has earned a permanent spot in my garage. If your giftee lives on a large plot of land or needs to transport a lot of pots or other supplies around their house, this will be an invaluable companion. Note that it will require some assembly, but it didn't take more than an hour.
A Candle That Smells Like Tomatoes
You might be thinking: Why on earth would someone want a candle that smells like a tomato? I certainly did, when WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe crowned a tomato-scented candle as the overall best pick in her
Guide to the Best Scented Candles. However, now that I've smelled it myself, along with a handful of other versions (LAFCO's is my second favorite), I completely get it. I was immediately transported back to being amid sun-warmed tomato leaves in my grandfather's garden, but my teen son, who doesn't have the same association, also immediately recognized it as a distinctly summer smell. It's warm and vegetal, but still sweet and fresh. It's sure to remind your favorite gardener of the good times ahead.
A Quality Pair of Gloves
I've used a lot of gardening gloves over the years, but these two are my all-time favorites. Digz's long-cuff garden gloves keep dirt, leaves, and other detritus out when you're reaching down deep into something, and they're invaluable for pulling out blackberry vines, goosegrass, and other long and/or sticky weeds. (Digz also makes some
excellent tools with soft, ergonomic handles, but those aren't as widely available.) If you're looking for something sturdier, longer-lasting, and more versatile, Vermont Glove has been hand-sewing goat-leather gloves since 1920, and the Flatlander design dates from that time. These gloves are both ridiculously soft and insanely sturdy—my husband and I have both used them for all manner of yard work, including pulling thorny weeds, and they have stood up beautifully despite their lightweight feel.
<small>Source: Wired</small>
