Gift ideas from the green-fingered please

[TessApricot]

Hello, I want to buy a present for a friend who has moved into a house with a huge garden. I was thinking a rose bush, tree, sapling of some kind but I’m clueless. I’ll be giving it to her in June if that makes a difference and it will need to be delivered. Any recommendations on what to buy and where to get it from?
Thank you!

June is not a great time for planting tbh, but the smaller it is the more likely you can get away with it.

We were given a 15cm Cherry Tree when we first moved into our house. 3 and a half years later its 3.5m tall and coming on nicely.

We planted ours in the centre of some newly planted 9cm Eupatorium which grew to a couple of metres in the first year. This encouraged the tiny tree to grow dead straight in search of light and gave it a really good first year.

An alternative is a nice rambling rose. Cant go wrong with those for a beginner.

Another one I love is Climbing Hydrangea. Its drought tolerant once established, does shade and sun; and self clings to wood or brick.

Is she an experienced gardener with all the required tools and garden bits and bobs. Is the garden an established one or a bit of a mess that needs sorting?
Does it have to be a plant or could it be something for use in the garden
Ie a decent kneeler, hand tools, garden whimsy of some sort.

Bird bath would be a nice gift

Felco pruners are expensive but worth every penny.

Gift certificate to garden center.

Thank you all. I’m afraid I don’t know much about her garden and the state it’s in. If June isn’t a good time then I may be off with one of your other ideas.
@LemonSwan would a rambling rose or climbing hydrangea be ok in June?
@Proudboomer @PerveenMistry one of your suggestions might be a safer bet although I wish I knew what she had already!
I did wonder about a voucher or a seed subscription... I’ll keep looking.
Thanks again.

If you are buying tools, buy good quality ones.

I have a stainless steel trowel, and it's miles better than a regular one.

Pp's Felco pruners are a good suggestion.

A rose bush is fairly safe, or a plant in a pot.

A devoted gardener never has too many pruners. I also got the Felco wire cutters - seems there is always some wire that needs to be snipped when arranging trellises or hanging things from garden walls.

It should be fine to plant a rose in June.

Is it a formal garden? Casual? In good shape or dilapidated? How avid is she?
Organic? Does she like to provide for birds and wildlife?

I don't know that I would choose a tree for someone. A nice set of holly shrubs would be nice year-round. Make sure you get male and female

A longshot but.. I have always appreciated receiving vintage garden items if she's into that aesthetic.

I second the bird bath idea, or maybe a sundial?

Someone gifted me a dwarf cherry tree years ago and I still love it - it blossoms early and because it's still in a (big and beautiful non plastic!) pot, it's v easy to look after. Think about the pot you get it in if it's something destined to stay in the pot. I was so pleased the person who gave this to me chose a beautiful pot too!

Otherwise you've never got too many tools!

There are some lovely books on grow your own if she's planning fruit and veg beds - think we have the RHS year planner which I still look at

Depending on how gardeny she is, insect hotels are also lovely

My husband bought me this lovely watering can in green it has a copper coloured rose and handles. I have a big garden and most of the heavy work goes on at the other end, so I leave my lovely watering can near the house to water my stuff around there and it doesn’t look scruffy if I leave it out. Sorry for the photo bomb, Betsy can’t be left out of anything.

@Tambora

I second the bird bath idea, or maybe a sundial?

Love the sundial idea. I've always wanted one. And it would be less maintenance than a bird bath.

As a gardener, I am fussy with my tools, and one decent pruner is better than several rubbish ones.

With plants, I'd prefer to choose my own. Having said that, I have some plants that I was given, and one is still in a pot. I do give plants as presents, but usually be because the person has mentioned a fondness for the plant. I wouldn't give a plant that was likely to grow to huge size or need a lot of maintenance. Something compact with seasonal interest would be fine.

If someone gave me a birdbath or a sundial, I'd hope we'd have the same taste. A bird feeding station might be a safe bet.

Good quality gardening gloves would be my choice.

Or a birdbath / sundial - we have both and I love them!

Or good quality solar lighting!

Good gloves are always something needed.
Last year I treated myself to some rose pruning gloves. Extra thick and come up to my elbows. This springs rose pruning is the first in living memory my hands and arms didn’t look like I had been attacked by wild animals.

Love those rose gauntlets.

Felco pruners worth their weight in gold
Rose pruning gloves
Sundial
I love the watering can posted upthread - I just have a cheap plastic one
RHS subscription
Depends on yr budget - some very dear friends bought us a bench - 20 odd years later it's still going strong and I always think of them
David Austin voucher
Contorted Willow tree
Any chance you get an idea before June by speaking to her and getting an idea of when she is doing in garden/buying for it ?
Decent wheelbarrow

Gosh a bench is a great idea if the garden is huge.

Please keep us posted, OP!