written by Abra Lee, Garden Contributor

Some of the best gifts I’ve ever received have not always been the most expensive ones. True enough, I’d always appreciate another pair of designer sunglasses, but gifts that speak to my love of gardening are often near and dear to my heart. I’ve pulled together a few of my favorite things, all under $30 and can be ordered online with the exception of two items. If you have more gift ideas to share or questions about any of these selections, please add them to the comments section below. Happy Holidays!

1.|  HORI HORI KNIFE– Japanese for “dig dig” its a must have tool for gardeners, $21.04.
2.| FOXGLOVES ORIGINAL–I love the smooth texture of this brand. I own an elbow length pair in purple, $20.
3.| HERB QUARTERLY MAGAZINE One of my favorite gardening publications, it’s very well-written and I read this one cover to cover, $19.97.
4.| AMERICAN GROWN: How the White House Kitchen Garden Inspires Families, Schools, and Communities – I get excited every time I see our First Lady in the White House Garden.  This book contains many images of her tending to the garden and discusses how it has influenced us all to play in the dirt again, $19.80.
5.| 3 WHITE CONTAINERS IN VARIOUS SIZES– I got hip to this from a blog post a few weeks back by colour expert Maria Killam. People often give gardeners interior plants but they don’t include a decorative container for the plant. She makes the point that no matter the color, plants will always look good in a white container. I totally agree.
6.| GARDEN JOURNAL Get this for your favorite gardener and write an inscription in it. Tell them to write about what they’re doing in their garden, lectures attended, etc, $18.60.
7.|  A vintage garden book (hardback copy)- pick one, any one. Old school garden books are so descriptive and fun to read. Plus they look so classy sitting on your desk. Shop estate sales, your local thrift, or Goodwill for great finds at deeply discounted prices.
8.| GARDEN CLOCHE – Whether you’re using it to start plants from a seed or just as a display to cover some of your favorite garden item, cloches’ are a plants best friend, $26.97.
 9.| AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP – Gift your gardener with a membership to the American Horticultural Society. It’s $35 (so it puts you $5 over budget) but there are so many benefits like: discounts to public gardens, and subscriptions to publications like American Gardener Magazine and others. 
 10.| PHOTOGRAPH AND FRAME – There are many gardeners who don’t have pictures of themselves working in the garden. Snap a few candid shots of your favorite gardener and frame the best picture you take. They’re sure to love it.