To generalise wildly, the committed gardener tends to be one who eschews worldly goods in favour of time spent communing with nature and tending the plot – however big or small. There is one exception to this rule of abstention from acquisitiveness: the garden kit – not to mention the plants – themselves. Which is all the more reason, we say, to lavish love upon these hardy souls whose commitment to the great outdoors through rain, snow, sleet and shine, enables the rest of us fair weather gardeners to enjoy the fruits of their considerable labours. These are the rakes, hoes, shovels, and smocks we’ve got eyes on for the horticulturists in our lives.

By Nancy Alsop
October 2022