Gift ideas for elderly woman

[Dreambe]

I am struggling to find a gift/s for up to £20 for an aunt turning 86 and wondered if anyone has any ideas please.

She is fit and well and loves gardening, wild birds-watching and reading but I feel like I have exhausted most gifts under these. She also volunteers in a charity shop twice a week and now buys all her books from there so I don’t want to buy Waterstones vouchers again. She has every garden ornament/tools/accessory I can think of. Afternoon tea vouchers don’t fit into the budget. Have done thermal garden gloves, winter wearable blanket, puzzle books, fancy hand creams, bird feeders including window suction ones, and jigsaws.

I can only think of a neck reading light and a voucher for her favourite online garden plant supplier. I don’t want to send cash as it feels a bit thoughtless.

I am fairly close with my ex's mother who is 80 and she too loves gardening.

I often use a website called CJ Wildlife as that has some really good ideas for garden and wildlife gifts

You could try a crochet gift set or a candle gift set.

I agree no more stuff. I let my daughters know what I might like. Sometimes it's cleaning my frig out, other times one stops by with flowers and a few favorite snacks that we enjoy together. I like the idea of making an afternoon tea basket and visiting. The random visit is such a nice treat.

I'd be deeply unimpressed by a crochet gift set or candles. I don't crochet. If I did, I wouldn't want a gift set, I'd want stuff for a future project I have in mind. And I've already got enough candles. How much scented wax can one person need?

My mum loved some recycled cashmere wrist warmers from Turtle Doves

Another one for no more ‘ stuff’.

Cream tea delivered from £20 https://www.devonheaven.co.uk/

Tickets for the theatre.

Garden centre voucher. I'd stay clear of plants. As an enthusiastic gardener myself, I hoist a weary smile at yet another plant. I've found that very lovely containers for plants are quite another thing. Make sure they are plastic/fibro, not terracotta/ceramic as they're a bugger to move round.

What does she enjoy eating? I think the present my MIL has most enjoyed from us was a hamper of some lovely cheese amd chutney from the fine cheese Co.

I hope she has a great birthday! I wish I still had my gran for things like this, but she wasn't at all able bodied as your aunt.

You've got books covered, what about a britbox subscription? They have all the midsummer murders, morse, touch of frost etc. But it doesn't sound like she watches much tv.
Maybe a bee hotel? I bought MIL one for under a fiver and she loves it, or one of those bird watch mini cameras?

To be honest she sounds like she'd be most happy with a card and some fudge or shortbread I think.

Magazine subscription? Maybe a gardening magazine?

Or you take her to the movies…

Tell that to my grandmother, she's never off bloody Amazon

At this age my mum loved little treats:

-Jar of honey with honeycomb
-Freesia-scented room diffuser (her favourite flower)
— bird feeder for her window

So
Something edible or drinkable. So posh tea, hot chocolate, nice biscuits Whatever fits in your budget

I would browse gardening magazines - though wouldn’t want it every week.
There are lots to choose from, also home and garden types or cooking/recipe ones.
We can no longer browse them at Doctors surgery, hairdressers etc so I would quite like that as I don’t buy any myself.

My dad is in his 80s, I tend to go for food (he loves fudge) or drink but a couple of years ago I got him a USB microscope. It was a big hit.

Maybe binoculars or a telescope for bird watching? Wildlife cam?

A jar of good local honey?
I’ve bought my DM a really elaborate pop up 3D card which went down well

Can she still travel independently? If not, could you drive her somewhere a bit further than she would usually go to see gardens or go bird watching?

God, this is depressing. I’m 70 this year and would be horrified if my family defined me by my age like this. We don’t suddenly have a personality transplant when we get old. Things I hope I get for my birthday are Cowshed shower gel and/or body lotion, a bottle of fizz, a voucher for my favourite beauty salon, a bunch of flowers - basically the kind of thing I’ve liked for my entire life.

A neck-fan?

This. My Mum & her sister do this quite often. A wander round the garden centre/gift shop then lunch at the cafe

I know as she gets older my Mum prefers to spend time with my brother & I rather than get a physical gift so we usually do lunch out or afternoon tea for birthdays & Mothers Day

Shell probably love an afternoon out with you

O e of those glass bird feeders that stick to the window so the birds come right up to the window

A trip to a garden centre sounds a good idea. Alternatively, if you know what colours she likes, a ready-planted pot with a good mix of summer flowers to go outside near her door might be good. I've had a positive reaction to that in the past from aged aunts, and now that I'm getting old myself would love one.

If her hobbies are gardening, books and birdwatching then I’d get

plants, seeds, nice pots,
book on a subject, genre, author she likes
binoculars, note book ( for noting birds she’s spotted, wall charts of bids
etc
Most will come to under or near £20

Its about the interests not the age

Spending a bit of time with her would be the best gift.

Or do you not live close enough?

A live plant would be lovely if she enjoys gardening. Even an indoor plant like an African violet is nice - something blooming.