A is for Acorn, one of Mayo-based designer duo Superfolk’s new Woodland Treasures Series of prints inspired by the tiny treasures to be found in Irish forests (€100, superfolk.com)
B is for Clare-based The Burren Perfumery’s range of soothing, herbal balms which are certifiedorganic by the Soil Association and use traditional herbal ingredients such as arnica, borage, calendula and comfrey – perfect after a long, hard day of gardening (€18, burrenperfumery.com). The Burren Perfumery also makes a Gardeners & Harsh Conditions Hand Cream (€18), a soothing, nourishing barrier cream designed to protect and restore chapped, garden-worn hands.
C is for Clare-based Caherhurley Nursery’s new range of Choice Plant Boxes, each one containing 12 outstanding perennial varieties ideally suited to Irish gardens and expertly hand selected by owners Gert and Elisabeth Stam on the basis that they are either perfect for a particular set of growing conditions (for example, shade, full sun, damp soil), or that they perform a particularly useful role (for example, they’re great for pollinators, or as cut flowers, as quick filler plants, to support biodiversity, or are very long flowering). Not only that, they’re also certified organic. (€55 plus shipping, see caherhurleynursery.com.
C is also for Caddybag, the compact, waterproof gardening toolbag from British brand Genus endorsed by the RHS. Packed full of zipped pockets, clips and pouches, it’s a great way to easily carry all sorts of gardening hand tools, plant labels, twine, tapes and packets of seeds, as well as keys and a mobile phone (€92.95, genus.gs)
D is for the digital minimum/maximum thermometer Vision from Cork-based fruithillfarm.com. Just stick it to the outside of a window and it will warn when damaging frosts or searing summer heatwaves threaten (€20).
E is for the Escapade picnic cooler from Foxford (€49, Foxford.com), a stylish way to keep food and drinks fresh and cool after a long day working in the allotment. Or for those who want to go the full hog, Foxford also carry a great range of traditional wicker picnic hampers. Glass of Pimm’s, anyone?
F is for feet, which require gardening boots that are sturdy, long-wearing and waterproof, but also breathable and lightweight. Lowa’s range of hiking boots (lowa.ie, and callofthewild.ie) is one of the go-to brands that many seasoned gardeners swear by, along with Cofra (safetycare.ie) and Jolly (armyworld.pl) ranges.
G is for Gardenalia, a speciality of Laois-based antiquarian Dee Brophy, whose regularly updated treasure trove of vintage finds includes everything from handsome zinc dolly tubs, botanical engravings and vintage terracotta pots to antique watering cans and glass melon cloches (deebrophy.com).
G is also for garden bench, few of which are as timelessly elegant as the Bielenberg Bench (peterbielenberg.ie, €595), designed by John Bielenberg and manufactured in Ireland by his son Peter. G is also for gloves, another gardening essential. Classics include Niwaki’s non-slip gardening gloves made from washable spandex and nylon (€8.50, howbertandmays.ie), while gardeners with sensitive skin will appreciate the French brand Rostaing’s range of leather gloves (from €23.95, fruithillfarm.com).
H is for Horticultural Heroes, a list of 20 “extraordinary garden champions making a difference to places, people, plants and the planet”, as recently featured in Gardens Illustrated and which includes Jimi Blake of Hunting Brook Gardens in Co Wicklow. A brilliant mix of practical learning, talks, garden and nursery visits and guest lectures held over the course of a gardening year (one day a month for 10 months), Blake’s next in-person “Plantsperson’s Course” kicks off at Hunting Brook in February (from €600), while other one-day gardening workshops scheduled for Hunting Brook next year include “Floral Flamboyance” with the British garden writer, flower grower, gardener and podcaster Arthur Parkinson (€130, huntingbrookgardens.com)
I is for Ilex, the Latin name for holly, that most quintessential of Christmas plants. Gussied up with a pretty ribbon, a young container-grown plant makes a great Christmas gift (futureforests.ie)
J is for joy, something that a gift of annual membership to one of Ireland’s greatest gardens is sure to give. Examples include Mount Congreve in Co Waterford (from €70, mountcongreve.com); Blarney Castle in Co Cork (12-month adult pass, from €90, blarneycastle.ie); Mount Usher in Co Wicklow (€37.50), mountushergardens.ie); Killruddery in Co Wicklow; (killruddery.com from €80-€120).
K is for west Cork-based Kilcoe Studios, whose gorgeous garden-inspired 2025 calendar (€16 plus p&p, kilcoestudios.com) features illustrations of unusual native trees and shrubs. Alternatively, Wicklow-based Irish botanical artist Yanny Petters’s beautiful 2025 calendar features work from her recent solo exhibition Fieldwork with Mainie and Albrecht (€20 plus p&p, yannypetters.net).
L is for learning, something that the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland does a huge amount to support through its talks, lectures, workshops, associated gardens, garden tours, open days and other events. Give the gift of annual membership, which also includes a copy of the society’s journal, from €60, see rhsi.ie
M is for magazine. Support Ireland’s only home-grown gardening variety, The Irish Garden, and enjoy expert advice from many of the country’s leading gardeners tailored specifically for the Irish climate (€40 including postage for seven issues, see subscribe.garden.ie).
N is for “no peat”, something that the world of gardening is slowly but surely moving towards after decades of relying on peat to provide a lightweight, friable, water-retentive growing medium. That sort of change inevitably comes with teething problems, but among the standout products to emerge is the German-made Klasmann’s range of organic peat-free seed and potting compost, which produces brilliant results every time. A great gift for those eco-minded gardeners who love propagation (from €17.75, whitesagri.ie and fruithillfarm.com).
O is for ‘Ophelia’, one of many thousands of named varieties of snowdrop in cultivation, a subject close to every galanthophile’s heart. Give your loved one a ticket to Ireland’s 14th Annual Snowdrop Gala, which takes place Saturday, January 25th, 2025, at Ballykealey House, Ballon, Co Carlow, and features guest speakers Keith Wiley and Callum Hallstead, (from €120) see altamontplants.digitickets.co.uk/tickets
P is for propagation, something that’s much easier with the use of an electric propagator. Dublin-based Mr Middleton’s compact windowsill propagator features seven individual mini vented propagators and a heated base designed to increase the ambient compost temperature by about 8° Celsius (mrmiddleton.com, €64.99).
Q is for queues, something the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is famed for. Dodge the stress next year by booking a guided tour with Iain MacDonald through the Travel Department, which also includes flights, accommodation and a tour of Kew Gardens (€1,099 pps, traveldepartment.com).
R is for resilience, the theme of next year’s GLDA (Garden and Landscape Designers Association) seminar, Building Resilient Landscapes for a Changing Climate, which takes place on February 22nd, 2025, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry, Dublin. Guest speakers include Charlotte Hitchmough, Wendy Allen, Adam Whitbourne, Henrik Sjoman and Ann Marie Powell. Tickets from €65-€145, see glda.ie.
S is for snippers and secateurs. You can’t go wrong with Niwaki’s GR Pro model, beautifully hand-forged in Japan from carbon steel (€112.00, howbertandmays.ie). S is also for seeds, speciality of Cork-based organic grower and seed producer Madeline McKeever of Brown Envelope Seeds, which always offers a great selection of themed Christmas gift boxes that any kitchen gardener would love to receive (brownenvelopeseeds.com).b
T is for trees. Make this a Christmas to remember with the gift of a tree from Cork-based nursery Nangle & Niesen, which offers an outstanding range of ornamental trees from rare varieties of crape myrtle, Japanese snowbell and dogwoods to native species such as yew, hawthorn and rowan (nangleandniesen.ie). T is also for Tanguy de Toulgoet, master gardener, owner and founder with his wife Isabelle of Dunmore Cookery School in Durrow, Co Laois, from which the couple run a series of brilliantly informative day courses in organic kitchen gardening and beekeeping (from €50, see dunmorecountryschool.ie).
T is also for trug, the classic gardener’s basket. West Cork-based willow weaver Rosemary Kavanagh of Wild Rose Basketry makes a beauty (from €90, wildrosebasketry.ie).
U is for understated elegance, something that the Irish-designed Abito work-overall garment encapsulates. Made from hardwearing 100 per cent cotton denim or twill, it features reinforced pockets and hooks for keys or tools (€240 abitolive.com).
V is for Venus, shorthand for Mount Venus, the outstanding Irish specialist plant nursery in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains owned by designers and plants people Liat and Oliver Schurmann. A favourite haunt of garden designers and landscape architects, a gift voucher from here would make the perfect Christmas gift for the discerning gardener in your life (mountvenusnursery.com).
W is for UK-based Genus’s range of Warm and Dry Gardening Trousers, a firm favourite with professional gardeners. Waterproof, insulated, breathable and quick-drying, they come with padded knees, stab-resistant pockets for secateurs and knives and a raised waistband for back protection (genus.gs, €255.95). Alternatively, Mascot’s more affordable range of outdoor clothing also comes highly recommended (theworkwearstore.ie).
W is also for watering can. Howbert & Mays stock a lovely, long-spouted copper model that’s perfect for indoor plants (€120, howbertandmays.ie)
X is for X marks the spot – something this list will help with as regards finding the perfect Christmas gift for the special gardener in your life.
Y is for yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor), the native annual flowering plant considered a key species when it comes to the successful establishment of native Irish flowering meadows. It’s not always easy to source, but Mr Middleton stocks freshly harvested, Irish-grown seed (mrmiddleton.com, from €12)
Z is for Zuiver’s stylish Albert Kuip Outdoor chair, designed in collaboration with Studio Ape and an elegant, hardwearing choice for smart town gardens (€385, aprilandthebear.com)
Dates for your diary
Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th December (10am to 4.30pm), National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Sustainable Christmas Craft Market, with a very wide variety of ethically and sustainably produced crafts for sale, plus carols and Christmas plant walks, admission free. Also Saturday 14th December, (10am-1pm), The Grinding House, June Blake’s Garden, Tinode, Blessington, Co Wicklow, a seasonal & sustainable Christmas wreath-making workshop with garden writer and flower-farmer-florist Fionnuala Fallon, see Eventbrite or @theirishflowerfarmer for details/to book tickets.
