I’ve always really enjoyed gift lists so I thought I’d put one together for the flower lover! I don’t ever want to recommend something unless I have personally used it and have loved it (though it would be fun to put together a wish list!) so I’ve only included things I have and use. I’m a believer in good quality and I’ve always been an advocate for buying the best that you can afford. The caveat is that I don’t think that just because something is expensive means it’s good quality. There are still things out there that aren’t an arm and a leg and yet are wonderful, and helpful, things to own. Of course, the gold standard is something that is useful and beautiful (to paraphrase William Morris) but I also think it’s wonderful to own something simply because you love looking at it and it adds beauty to your life.
Last Christmas, I recieved a class from the Create Academy on floral arranging. The instructor is famed florist, Willow Crossley and I thoroughly enjoyed my evenings watching and learning. Create Academy (out of England) now has all sorts of classes by the likes of Sarah Raven, The LandGardeners and lots of other heavy weight instructors. I’m hoping I get a full years’ subscription for Christmas!
Almost any flower lover knows of Erin over at Floret Flower. Erin is astoundingly generous with her knowledge and carries some hard to come by flower seeds that would make a lovely gift, perhaps with one of her three books on the subject!
I’ve been using Mario Badescu’s facial spray for years and years. It’s great for almost anything; dry skin, setting makeup, refreshing tired skin, the list goes on. Grace and I both have it in our bags most of the time! It feels good and smells great!
I was given The Book of Flowers years ago and it still is out on my coffee table because it’s just beautiful! The illustrations by Redoute are stunning and the heft and size of the book make it a statement piece on your table!
I have a slight obsession with cooking with flowers. This is a newish to me book, so not one I’ve had for years, but I’ve really enjoyed reading through it and have been inspired to grow a few different flowers for next year. The Edible Flower is organized by flower so it’s very easy to use. There is a description of each flower, best growing practices and a few recipes for each one! If you also enjoy edible flowers check out our cocktail cubes, floral garnishing salt and flowerfetti, all perfect stocking stuffers!
Good pruners and snips are critical for ease of cutting flowers and branches. I have two pair of Felcos but I do prefer the one meant for smaller hands! I also love my green handled scissors (in photo at top!).
I often miss the days of dressing for the day (ie: nicely) because many days I’m just in my farm work clothes! A new to me purchase this fall was this button down by Sezane. Again, one I haven’t owned for long but I love its ease (can be untucked or tucked, casual or a bit dressy) and its simplicity. It might be a little too sweet for many, but I love it.
I use flower frogs for arrangements all the time. I was wary about putting this on my list because while we carry them in our store, we have a really hard time keeping them in stock. We get some in (our source is out of stock all the time) and they are gone almost immediately. However, I also have many that I’ve picked up at antique stores and even a few garage sales! It’s a sustainable practice, unlike floral foam, and it works. What could be better?
Last but not least, I simply have to include our WorkShirt. I wear this shirt almost daily except during really cold weather (when I wear an old LL Bean wool sweater) and prefer it over almost anything else. It feels a little boastful to toot our own horn but I really love this shirt. Its pockets are perfect for seeds, twine, markers, and anything else that needs to be tucked away while you plant those flowers! In navy too! Read about it here.
And that’s it – though as I made the list I realized I could go on! Feel free to share your favorite gifts for flower lovers, I can always use to discover something new!
