Kem Ormond’s vegetable garden: Christmas gift ideas for the gardener in your life

A solar fountain can provide ambience to someone’s garden this Christmas. Photo / Phil Thomsen

Kem Ormond is a features writer for The Country. She’s also a keen gardener. This week, she’s helping you shop for the gardener in your family.

Choosing a Christmas gift for the gardener in your family has always struck me as one of the easiest tasks on the holiday list.

Gardeners, after all, are wonderfully simple to please.

Being a gardener myself, I can tell you that few things thrill me quite like receiving a gardening voucher.

The very thought of racing to my local store, wandering among the aisles, and deciding which new treasure to take home is enough to send my endorphins soaring.

There are always new, clever products arriving on the shelves and, of course, the beloved, tried-and-true essentials that inevitably need replacing after years of faithful use.

With that in mind, I’ve put together a few ideas inspired by some of my recent purchases, as well as a few items I certainly wouldn’t mind finding under my own Christmas tree.

One of my favourite new additions is a solar-powered fountain designed for a bird bath or a large pot.

I tested mine in my fishpond and a wide bowl I already owned, and it worked beautifully.

The beauty of these fountains is in their simplicity: no wires, no external panels, just gentle sunlight and the soothing sound of moving water.

They work best in sheltered positions that receive plenty of sun, though I have discovered that intense winds can interrupt the flow a little.

Still, for anyone who loves the ambience of water in the garden without the hassle of installation, they make a delightful gift.

There are now excellent portable composters on the market, if your gift recipient is interested in composting but lives in a small space (perhaps a flat, apartment, holiday home, or lock-and-leave property).

I recently bought one with a tumbling chamber and even a drawer to collect liquid compost.

This compact composter is perfect for those short on space. Photo / Phil Thomsen

At just 52 x 49 x 40 cm, it occupies extraordinarily little space yet handles kitchen scraps with ease.

Best of all, it’s advertised as rodent-proof...though time will tell whether the label lives up to its promise.

A gardening trolley is another incredibly practical present.

These sturdy helpers are ideal for transporting potting mix, tools, plants or even loads of weeds destined for the compost bin.

The one I recently spotted costs $116, or an additional $25 if you want it assembled.

A garden trolley is a practical and helpful present for Christmas. Photo / Phil Thomsen

Personally, I say build it yourself, surely it can’t be more complicated than a flat-pack furniture project.

You can never go wrong with pots, either.

My local Mitre 10 has a stunning array of colourful designs, beautiful, bold and perfect for brightening a garden corner or patio.

Just be mindful of the recipient’s taste; a vibrant purple pot may not be the right match for someone devoted to a minimalist black-and-white theme.

These ceramic pots will add a splash of colour to any garden. Photo / Phil Thomsen

For something smaller, a new hose attachment is always a welcome stocking stuffer.

I’ve added a long-handled spray wand to my own Christmas wish list this year.

These wands offer far greater reach than the standard short nozzles, and for those of us living with handheld watering restrictions, they truly are game changers.

A watering wand is great for those living with watering restrictions. Photo / Gardena

Finally, there are the classic little gifts every gardener appreciates: a sturdy trug, fresh gloves, homemade vegetable labels, a beautifully illustrated gardening book, soothing hand cream, sunblock or a new hat for long days outdoors.

Simple, thoughtful and always useful.

Whatever you choose, gardeners cherish gifts that help them nurture the spaces they love.

With any of these ideas, you’re sure to make their Christmas bloom a little brighter.