Help with a present for a gardener please - hamper?

[BeeFarseer]

It's my mum's 60th birthday soon, and she's getting new garden furniture as her main present from my dad. She's asked for gardening vouchers, and then mentioned she'd like some allium bulbs.

I don't drive, so I can't get to a decent garden centre easily. Is there any sort of national voucher scheme for garden centres (like for theatre tickets)? If not, I can make the trek to a Dobbies and get their vouchers.

Anyway, to get to the point, I was thinking about doing a garden themed hamper for her, but what I know about gardening could fit on the back of a stamp. So I thought I'd ask for some help, please!

So far the only things I can think to include are the gardening vouchers and some allium bulbs.

There are gardening vouchers, however not all nurseries take them. I had to travel a good few miles to exchange mine.

If she would like Aliums I suggest looking at Waitrose Garden or Crocus. They both supply excellent plants. Alliums come In all sizes from tiny rockery ones to huge ones. If you ask her what size she wants that will guide you. Alternatively go onto the Crocus site and put in "Allium Collections" and they will send a variety. They currently have 20% off .

They also gift wrap.

www.thevouchergarden.co.uk/find/ will show you where you can spend them local to you.
We asked for these for anyone who wanted to buy us a wedding gift and bought our garden furniture with them.

Ooh, thanks both!

Ironically, my mum lives directly behind a garden centre, but doesn't go there because it's not very good.

I'd go with vouchers from Crocus. Half the fun of being a gardener is choosing plants. They have a good online catalogue with planting suggestions.

I find them pricey, but wouldn't say no to some of their vouchers!

Or a Sarah Raven Voucher. I have just received her catalog and the Aliums in there are Amazing. She also has beautiful vases, garden fairy lights and solar lanterns. I busy making a Christmas list.

For the hamper, maybe some nice new gardening gloves? Does she use a kneeler? Need new hand fork/trowel/secateurs? I usually get a selection of flower/veg seed packs from DH for Xmas, would she like something like that?

I always ask for garden centre vouchers for christmas or birthdays (but then wince at the prices when I come to use them). Allium bulbs can be bought very cheaply at the moment form the online suppliers. I have 250 bulbs waiting to go in. They cost about a tenner from Thompson and Morgan.

Lush's salted coconut hand scrub. Godsend after gardening.

How about a decent book? If she's anything like my DM she'll probably refer to a book more than to the internet. Does she grow fruit and veg? James Wong book?

Gardening magazine subscription? I like the £1.99 weekly magazines for very practical help and guidance but I also like Gardeners World, which is published monthly.

A collection of allium bulbs would be lovely.

I really like the Crocus website. What about a rose, with a name that is significant to her?

I can't do without my kneeling pad, gardening gloves (go through loads of them as the finger tips end up holey!) and secateurs so they are always welcome

I read about a pouch for secateurs so that they can remain safely on you

Yes to finding a plant with her name or one of significance

Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl often have decent (but small) plants in for a good price so for a small sum they could add to your hamper collection

Solar lantern or fairy lights??

www.worldoffelco.co.uk/secateurs/felco_model_no.2_original-l109fel001.html
These are the dogs do dahs. Had mine for years, lots of rough use and never sharpened them. They're still excellent.

Also Gold Leaf gloves are thd best I've had
www.amazon.co.uk/Gold-Ladies-Touch-Gardening-Gloves/dp/B00BMK9VB6/ref=pd_bxgy_86_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=2Q67DVDCNW1R7ARTJKZF&tag=mumsnetforum-21

Is your mum an experienced gardener? Knowledgeable and experienced gardeners usually have all the kit they need, I find. Whereas someone who is starting to garden, or invest more time in their garden than they ever used to, would appreciate better kit. Things like gloves, secateurs, kneeler, a big plastic trug.

If they can grow from seed (so use a cold frame or a greenhouse or window sill), what about some seed packets? Or some vegetable/salad seeds for her to direct plant next spring? There are some vegetable seed packets that have tape included so you don't have to thin them. I bought some fly resistant carrot and beetroot in the garden centre this spring that had tape.

Spring bulbs? Even if they have bulbs already planted, some new ones would be good. Tulips would be a wise choice here as generally the advice is to buy new each season.

Some feed?

These are all fantastic ideas!

She has some mobility problems that mean bending is very difficult for her. It's a big garden as my parents bought extra land at the back, which at the moment is just grassed over. They're concentrating on the part closest to the house at the moment, and sorting out a new patio. So it's hard to say what kind of gardening she'll be doing, as I know she wants very low maintenance because of her mobility.

I did spot a folding gardening stool with pockets for tools, and I thought that might be useful, but I think it's also the sort of thing that she'll need to try out to see if it works for her.

I know she wants gardening vouchers so she can choose her own tools, so that's fair enough!

So far I'm thinking vouchers, alliums or plant with her name, gardening gloves, a tin with twine I saw in Home Bargains, a solar light/string of lights and the Lush hand scrub suggested.

She'll love it!

...does she enjoy a tipple? Maybe a little bottle of something for her to enjoy at the end of a hard days gardening

Marking place - this could solve a present problem I have. Thank you

There are some lovely plant/herb markers around ranging from quite basic wooden markers through to slate and metal. If you have DC this could also be something they could help with and design themselves using a white paint pen. If you look on pinterest there are hundreds of different ideas. You could buy some packets of seeds and make the markers for those seeds and then gift her the paint pens and the spare markers so that she can continue doing her own.