Holiday Gifts from the Survival Garden

During this time of year, we’re a little distracted from the ordinary everyday gardening concerns, because we’re focused on the holidays. That means cooking delicious food to share and enjoying time spent together. It’s also a time for giving gifts. If you’re stuck on what to give someone, why not look at something from your garden?

Generosity and gardening go hand in hand. On Giving Tuesday, we talked about ways to give from the garden, and how to spread the love of gardening and its rewards with others year-round. Let’s build on that idea and explore gifts for special occasions, like holidays or birthdays.

5 Reasons to Give from the Garden

It’s a good survival practice. We have to mention this one first, and if you think about it, it’s a biggy. In the SHTF scenario, big box stores aren’t going to be an option. But family and community will be more important than ever. Getting into the practice of giving gifts that you make yourself can help shift your mindset to one of generosity, self-reliance, and community.

It costs less money. Times are tough right now! The prices of food and other basic necessities of life are going up, and the added pressure of holiday giving Using what you’ve got on hand is budget-friendly and helps you to keep the Christmas expenses under control.

It’s more personal. How cool is it to get a gift that someone grew and nurtured from seed all the way to the finished product? Think of the hours of toil and care that went into every step of the process. All of that time, attention, and energy adds meaning to the gift.

They’re more likely to use the gift. The holiday season can be one of generosity, but it can also sometimes be one of wastefulness. Most of us have enough useless junk around the house. How many times have you bought someone a gift that you’re not sure they’ll even open, just to fulfill the season's requirements?

It’s fun. Homemade gifts can be even more fun than shopping. You can personalize each gift for each person, hand down favorite recipes and dishes, or explore your creative side.

Stumped on what to give? You’ve probably got a lot to work with.

10 Garden Gift Ideas

1. Food. You can give so many things from your survival garden, which is almost always well-received. Canned goods from your garden are always a welcome taste of freshness in the winter months. Homemade apple scrap vinegar, cowboy candy, or sundried tomatoes are all sure to delight.
2. Recipe books. Share recipes along with your gift of food. A family recipe book can be incredibly meaningful and can connect the generations. Making your great-great granny’s apple-orange cake from her recipe adds something special to the holiday.
3. 
   Simmer pots & potpourri. Beautiful jars of simmer pot spices or potpourri can be a delightful stocking stuffer that adds a warm, cozy feel to the holiday season.
4. Decorations & crafts. Check out our recent blog on rosemary to see how to make your own holiday wreaths and cute little rosemary Christmas trees. Another fun idea is a birdhouse made from gourds.
5. Toiletries & bathroom goods. Create your own spa pack from the garden. You can include body scrubs, essential oils or tinctures, and loofah sponges you’ve grown yourself.
6. Dried herbs. Homegrown herbs can taste so much better, and many of us have an excess of dried herbs that we never seem to use up. This is an especially good gift for a young adult or someone who doesn’t have many pantry stores yet.
7. Gifts for the cat. Fresh or dried catnip is always a hit with furry family members. They’ll also appreciate munching on some fresh cat grass. Growing plants for your cat can also provide a distraction that keeps them from destroying your indoor garden.
8. Herbal teas. Homemade mixes of teas are so special! We’ve got an upcoming series on the uses of various garden herbs and making your own tea, so stay tuned.
9. Candies. Herbs are a base ingredient in a lot of candies: homemade peppermints, horehound, and other favorites. We’ve also got some recipe blogs for a few of these coming up, too.
10. Plants, cuttings, and seeds. These gifts can help a new gardener get started, but they can also be a great source of delight for experienced gardeners, too. You can share some extra plants, or cuttings from your herb garden, or create a seed vault from seeds you’ve saved from your garden.

Gift-giving is meant to show love, affection, or appreciation. If you’re not sure what to give someone, consider giving something from your garden. These homemade treasures can add meaning and joy to your holiday season.