My wife bought me a Soilsaver compost bin as a unique gardening gift when I graduated with my master’s degree in Communication Management. Buying a compost bin is one of many unique landscape and garden products to give as gifts.

I’m certainly a recreational gardener but having a compost bin seemed natural (pun intended) since we had some flowers, fruit trees and some vegetables.

Choosing the right landscape and garden product can help enhance the look and the comfort of a home. The gifts are great for holidays and any type of occasion such as house warming or anniversary gifts.

To find gift ideas, scan the local newspaper, community weekly, online site or ask at a garden club if there are some in your area.

Make sure you have an understanding of the projects that the person you’re buying for is likely to pursue. Don’t try and buy them a gardening gift just because you like it. Make sure they’ll make use of it.

• Plant cuttings: give someone a cutting from a plant in your yard that you know they might appreciate and care for. Put it in a solution to help the roots transplant well.
  

• Milk cans – these can be bought at antique stores or at estate sales

• Wheel barrows – these can be great for planting flowers. Use a varnish to protect the wood as much as possible.

• Wooden ladders – leaned against a home, the rungs can be used for holding herb pots and other plants. An item like a wheel barrow or ladder can have an engraved plaque with a loving message to the person or their favorite Scripture verse.

• Leather gloves or rubber gloves – to keep hands blister-free when tilling the soil Create an invitation to a landscaping or gardening class in your area. In LA County, workshops are found at www.smartgardening.com.

• For those living near old farms, approach the owner to see if there are old tools they’re interested in getting rid of such as shovels and pitchforks. These can be used as accents in a garden or flower bed.

• Buy a pass to a local botanical center. In the Pittsburgh area where I’m originally from that would include the Phipps Conservatory. In LA County, we live close to the LA Arboretum in Arcadia.

• Create an outdoor gift basket: items can contain plant seeds, flower seeds, actual cut flowers and it can come in a pot. Toss in some fun snacks like sunflower seeds (in the package of course) and salad dressings.

• Go to a discount store like Big Lots, Dollar General or the 99 Cent Store to find flower or sunflower serving bowls and plates. Check online sites like Craigslist or Freecycle.org for things that people no longer want.

Outdoor gifts don’t have to look new to be appreciated. There are many budget-minded gifts that still display care for someone who likes to work in a garden or landscape their own yard.