Gardening gifts for elderly person

[Thisisthepoint]

My aunt is turning 84 soon and she absolutely loves her garden and is very active in looking after it herself.

Can anyone suggest a garden-related gift please that is perhaps a bit unusual?

I’ve already sent her over the years fleece garden gloves for winter, books, robin’s nest, garden colouring book (she likes arty stuff), a garden-themed mug & saucer set for outdoor use, fairy lights (she likes these), hyacinth bulb & vase, outdoor ornament etc.

I’ll be posting it so I can’t pick something heavy or breakable like ceramic pots. I was thinking maybe a subscription to a gardening magazine or a voucher for a garden centre?

I’d go with a subscription to a magazine, but not one that tells you how to garden, she most likely knows that.
Something like Gardens Illustrated or The English Garden. Gardeners like looking at other gardens for ideas and enjoyment. At the moment it’s difficult to go round open gardens, so reading about them is the next best thing.

I would look at Sarah Raven as she has beautiful gifts. If you would like to send another book, I recommend Piet Oudolf. He produces many books with lovely photos.

I am an elderly gardener and I really enjoyed reading Vita Sackville-West Sissinghurst Garden. It is biographical as well as relating how the garden evolved.

My in laws are similar and got an ace present one year which was a garden trolley. This sort of thing
www.screwfix.com/c/outdoor-gardening/garden-trollies/cat7490005

It was hands down the best present they've had. It gets so much use. Carrying plant pots, lots at once. Clippings to the compost etc etc.
In their case it was a golden wedding anniversary so the person even sprayed it gold, but that isn't compulsory.

Oh sorry. Missed the you'll be posting it bit.
Suppose you could have it delivered directly. Ah well.

There are seed subscription services that look great.

A garden trolley

Leaf handscrappers

Knee pads

Totally the opposite of what she 'needs' but -

My friends husband does 'companion gardening' so he goes to the house and assists them, under their instruction.

I just thought maybe she might want to plan some changes and the companion can do the digging/lifting with her if she were to want a tree planted etc.

I think they visit as much or as little as you request, she might only want 1 visit.

My friends husband absolutely loves it as he gets told what to do and just does it with them!

Garden trollies are great, I can no longer heft large sacks and pots with the abandon of my youth. You could get it delivered directly.
Or a decent, large pot or two with or without planting.
On a much smaller scale, I get through gallons of hand cream.

Thermometer
Kneeling pad
More gloves
Bird feeder

I'm an elderly gardener (though quite a bit younger than 84), and I don't enjoy magazine articles about other gardens.

My recent best gardening gift is a lopper, rather like a litter-picker but with a sharp blade. So I can prune things a metre above my head without having to get a ladder, and because it's a single pole, it doesn't get entangled in branches the way a pair of extending loppers do. It's an awkward shape to post but isn't heavy. Mine was the Spear and Jackson one.

A new pruning saw is good - even if she has one, the blades don't last for ever, it's too tedious to even consider sharpening them, and new blades cost almost as much as a new saw.

Someone on here was showing off their new Japanese trowel-cum-knife - a hori-hori. A tool of beauty and great utility, and not too big to post.

If you can cast your principles aside, Amazon will deliver stuff to a third party, and will attach a gift message to it for you. (For extra money, they will "gift wrap" it ie stick it in a shiny drawstring-top pillow-case)

Burgon and Ball do a lovely little sharpening steel, about 4 inches long, that you can slip in a pocket or clip on a keyring. Actually they do lots of things that I look at and think "I'd like one of those but I can't justify buying it" and that's the category of stuff that is nice to have as a gift.

What about buying a voucher with a local gardener for an autumn/winter tidy. I know you said she loves gardening but she might appreciate having someone in to give it a really good clear before winter. Im half her age and i would love this as a gift