Good Gifts for Grown Up Gardeners

jo-malone-herb-garden-thewomensroomblog
While we’re out and about in a festive shopping frenzy, or indeed doing it all online this year, it’s worth taking a moment to look at the imagery being used to flog us stuff.

We grown up women had the best of starts to this year, with beautiful older models popping up all over the shop at Celine and Saint Laurent to name just a few. For me, the biggest excitement came last week at the Jo Malone London launch of its Herb Garden Collection (it’s gorgeous and out spring 2016), where a glamourous grown up gardener is being used in the promotional imagery. I have NEVER seen an older model being used to anchor a fragrance launch before. Have you? Fragrance is even further behind fashion when it comes to acknowledging older people.

(BTW, regular readers might remember where the inspiration for this comes from).

Anyway, I love the image and as I was going to do a gift guide for gardeners, I thought I’d deconstruct it for things-to-buy ideas.

gloves

First up, good gloves, The ones used in the picture are Jayco gauntlets and they are the best, I have them and they fit beautifully. The RHS approve of them too, so enough said. They aren’t the prettiest, so for decorative for gifting, try the Burgeon & Ball ones at John Lewis. A nice terracotta pot is always appreciated, or a fancy one.

Gardeners hands always need soothing, so a good hand cream is a safe bet. I love the Crabtree & Evelyn one I mentioned back here, but other favourites include the Neal’s Yard Wild Rose cream, or go for the pretty packaging from Heathcote & Ivory.

No gardener can have too many pairs of secateurs, Orla Keily’s flower ones come in a pretty printed pouch and M&S does a rather sweet tool kit which would make a good gift. Proper pinnies are also extremely useful, particularly if you’re always forgetting where you put your trowel….I like the look of this one by the Botanist.

For the glamourous gardener, then how about this blossom nail polish? Our nails are always in need of covering up and this polish is inspired by blossom trees. Or try a botanical perfume, Jo Malone’s Herb Garden collection will be perfect for gardeners when it launches next spring, – Sorrel & Lemon Thyme and Nasturtium & Clover are two to watch out for, but there’s still the delicious Blackberry & Bay, or the classic Red Rose.

Going off on a tangent, these totes fab garden print glasses from Fish’s Eddy looked good value and I thought the rather lovely garden- inspired watches from Olivia Burton were charming too, do people still wear watches?

The Liberty scarf department always has floral-inspired scarves that would glam-up any garden outfit and I’m eyeing up the cable knits at Toast (particularly the socks) for when I waft around my garden rather than work in it.

Finally, if you know someone who is garden-less but loves a flower, then maybe cross stitch kits might help? I think these ones from Elizabeth Bradley are divine

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4 Comments

  • sarah says:

    I love that image of Nancy Lancaster and the homage by Jo malone is terrific. How very different from my usual muddy fleece, although I’m told that mud just brushes off an old Chanel jacket.
    May I recommend Showa gloves from Wells and Winter, not lovely but very effective.

  • Nicola says:

    Lovely gift suggestions. I particularly like the John Lewis gloves. Toast clothes are great for gardening. I’ve been planting tulips this morning in Toast wide corduroy trousers, Toast ribbed jumper and a 1990s Jigsaw wool waistcoat. I sometimes garden in an old Kew velvet coat. I’m still on the look out for the perfect pair of gardening boots though. I can find practical boots, comfortable boots or stylish boots, but not all three combined.

  • Amanda says:

    Nicola, will keep my eyes open for gardening boots, I garden in either wellies or old Timberlands. And Sarah, thanks for the Showa tip too, going to look them up now! Ax

  • Faye says:

    A bulb planter and some quality tools would go down well with me as a new gardener.

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