Brooklyn Holiday Gift Guide 2019: What to Get the Garden Lover

Greenery brightens up a home any time of year, and at holiday time, a garden-inspired gift is a reminder of spring. Garden accessories are always appreciated by the horticulturalist in your life, whether they till a treasured back garden, balcony or window sill.

Lightweight Containers

They look like bronze and wear like iron. These sturdy 21-inch-tall outdoor planters are made of fiberglass and weigh only 18 pounds each. The lightweight Morley pots by Campania, available at the Chelsea Garden Center in Red Hook for $290 each, are easy to move around and suitable for roofs and balconies.

Fiddle Leaf Fig

Still coveted if no longer rare, Fiddle Leaf Fig (aka Ficus lyrata) is the “it” plant of the decade (according to the New York Times) and one of the most popular houseplants for city dwellers. All it asks is cool air and indirect light to put out glossy, dinner-plate sized leaves on sturdy stems that will grow as much as 2 to 3 feet per year. You will find the fast grower in a variety of sizes, some in colorful glazed containers, starting at $34.95 at the Williamsburg and Red Hook locations of Chelsea Garden Center.

Plant-Based Potable

The Botanist is an aptly named artisanal gin from the Scottish isle of Islay, a small batch distillation flavored with 22 different foraged wildflowers and herbs from the island. Its citrus notes call to mind summer cocktails in the garden. Priced at $47 and made by Bruichladdich Distillery, it’s carried by Dry Dock Wine + Spirits in Red Hook.

Pretty Posies

Gardeners without gardens still love flowers, and here’s an opportunity to enhance their experience. Stems Brooklyn, a florist based in Bushwick, offers Stems Signature Flower Arranging Workshop, which teaches the basic tenets of floral design. The 90-minute evening class costs $75 and takes place monthly at their 96 Knickerbocker Avenue location. The next one is scheduled for January 23.

Portable Shade

Handmade in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Beach Hare hats are designed for maximum sun protection and good looks. Clothing designer Tamra Maher was inspired to start the line after a brush with skin cancer. Pictured is the winsome Lottie, a bucket-shaped hat made of raffia that retails for $225.

Park Service

Free Winter Weekdays (Tuesday through Friday) are back at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden through February 2020. To support and take full advantage of the borough’s bloom-filled garden masterpiece, a membership starts at $65. Available online, it includes free admission year round and access to special events such as cocktail parties and the garden’s yearly plant sale.

Related Stories

• Holiday Gift Guide 2019: Locally Sourced Home Items for the Design Lover
• The Outsider: Two Walled Gardens in Brooklyn Heights Are Low-Maintenance Oases of Serenity
• A Sweeping Vista Unveiled With the Opening of the Overlook at Brooklyn Botanic Garden

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