Gift Guide: Put these under a tree for the gardeners and plant parents in your life

For gifting the gardeners, green thumbs and plant obsessed in our lives this year, LAist did the digging so you don’t have to!

A new plant, a membership to one of the big, beautiful arboretums or botanical gardens in Southern California or thoughtful, hand-printed coupons for one (two?) hours of free weeding assistance are always appreciated. Here are a dozen more ideas that put the focus on shopping local, helping our neighbors and learning something new.

Mini farm in-a-box ($40)

It's a miniature mushroom farm from L.A.-based Fungi Valley Grow Kits.

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Will Pfeffer

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Los Angeles-based Fungi Valley Grow Kits are packaged in convenient, recyclable containers and produce impressive novelty mushrooms such as Lion’s Mane, Blue Oyster, Pink Oyster and Golden Oyster.

The first flush (aka harvest) can be expected after one to two weeks of following the enclosed step-by-step directions.

Details about the mushrooms on offer can be found on the company website. Ideal for plant lovers of all ages.

Green thumbs not required!

A glow-up for houseplants ($40) 

Pamper your houseplants with polishing soap.

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Jess Isaac

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For Leon & George

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Pampered plants don’t do dust.

Inspired by the olive oil-based soaps of Southern France, L’Original Black Soap contains four natural ingredients and is safe for use on surfaces such as wood, stone, metal and leather. Made in Los Angeles, the soap is designed to enhance indoor foliage with long lasting shine and also serves as a natural insecticide and fungicide.

Black Soap and microfiber Premium Shining Mitt, by Léon & George.

Double-duty watering can ($29)

It's a watering can and a spray bottle. Handy!

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Jess Isaac

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For Leon & George

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Know a gardener who appreciates multi-tasking? The House of Botanicals watering can and mister at Los Angeles-based Léon & George has it covered.

The lightweight 1.5 liter container can administer a light spray of moisture or a proper dousing thanks to its clever two-in-one design.

Flowery cookbook ($45) 

You should stop and smell the roses, of course, but you can also eat lots of kinds of flowers.

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HarperCollins Publishers

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Peckish for posies? Wanna nibble on nasturtiums?

The brilliance and beauty of Los Angeles’ own foodie florist and botanical baker, Loria Sterns, has been captured in her new book, Eat Your Flowers: A Cookbook at the Huntington Store.

For those with a passion for floral arranging that goes beyond the bouquet, Eat Your Flowers is designed to educate and inspire home chefs to play with color, flavors, flowers, herbs and plants in the pursuit of culinary art.

Flowery cookies ($53.50) 

They're almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

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Justin Chung

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Skip the poinsettia, and send your favorite gardener something they can really sink their teeth into — specifically, a batch of Flower Cookies from Los Angeles-based Eat Your Flowers by Loria Stern.

One dozen vanilla shortbread cookies are hand-pressed with locally grown organic flowers and packaged in a sturdy, reusable gift box.

Additional flavors include Sourdough Dark Chocolate Flowerfetti Cookies, Butterfly Flower Cookies and Fig Balsamic Cookies.

Almost too pretty to eat.

Greenhouse ornament ($50) 

Evergreen tree, greenhouse ornament. Perfect.

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Roger’s Gardens

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Deck the halls. Roger’s Gardens in Corona Del Mar is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and has opened the doors to its annual holiday extravaganza of all things that sparkle and shine — including an abundance of hand crafted novelty ornaments such as the Greenhouse Ornament by Tannenbaum Ornaments.

Shear pleasure ($70)

For pro pruning.

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Roger's Gardens

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Let them know you know the tools of the trade. Made in Southern California, the 1-inch Corona Branch Pruners at Roger’s Gardens are designed for precise and efficient pruning.

Sharp, curved blades provide clean cuts that minimize damage to plants and promote faster healing. Ergonomic handles offer a comfortable non-slip grip and reduce hand strain.

Succulents and pampering ($146) 

Pampering and plants.

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Lula’s Garden

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Just like plants, people need a season of rejuvenation too.

The Mindful Moments Gift Box with Jewel Garden from Los Angeles-based Lula’s Garden is a cleverly curated holiday gift set that includes a trio of planted succulents sourced from a local, family-owned nursery, as well as a satin sleep mask set, a scalp massager, a dry brush, fuzzy socks, a scented candle and matches.

Each garden purchased provides six months of safe drinking water for a person in need.

Succulents for a cause ($42) 

This succulent set is meant to symbolize strength and beauty.

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Lula's Garden

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Say it with succulents.

Delicate and resilient, the succulent roses in the Pride Rosé Garden gift set are designed to symbolize strength and beauty.

Los Angeles-based LuLa’s Garden donates 5% of the proceeds from the Pride Collection to The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ youth.

Support for TreePeople ($20 to $620)

Support TreePeople and give a gift to the tree person in your life.

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Courtesy of TreePeople

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Help channel their inner tree person.

TreePeople’s nonprofit headquarters in the Santa Monica Mountains encompasses 45 acres of nature trails and a native plant nursery. The organization has been dedicated to inspiring and growing a more resilient Southern California environment for more than 50 years.

Their efforts take the form of community forestry, planting trees where they are most needed in urban areas, restoring wildlands with native and fire-resilient plants, stewarding more than 3,000 acres of land in the Santa Monica Mountains for public recreation, environmental education, scientific research, helping to restore fire-scarred landscapes and more.

Tree Dedication Cards, which are offered in holiday motifs, can be emailed or snail-mailed and start at $25 for planting one tree and go up to $620 for those wishing to dedicate an entire 50-tree grove. Sponsoring a tree, or trees, for the nature lover in your life symbolizes growth, renewal and hope.

Want something you can wrap? Consider the TreePeople Organic Ribbed Beanie ($28) or make reservations ($20 each for adults) for you and your plant person to take part in a Moonlight Hike with Living Earth on Jan. 23. The event kicks off with live music, and then hikers choose their route:

• The Coyote Crawl is slow paced and informative.
• The Silver Bear Stroll offers a moderate level of difficulty with a stunning scenic overlook. 
• The Night Owl Prowl is a 2-mile power hike with breathless views. 

No matter which gift idea is most fitting, each opportunity contributes to the TreePeople mission.

A gift that grows ($25) 

A perfect gift for the gardener who is always misplacing seed packets.

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Audrey’s Museum Store at the Skirball Cultural Center

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Pick a card, any card!

The Seed Collector’s Kit at Audrey’s Museum Store at the Skirball Cultural Center features 50 illustrated cards, an information booklet and seed collecting envelopes designed to lay the groundwork for learning how to create and maintain a sustainable garden — for free!

Garden Conservancy membership ($50 and up)

A Garden Conservancy Membership can provide inspiration and experiences.

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Kim Baile

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Like a backstage pass, but for gardens.

The Garden Conservancy is a national nonprofit organization committed to preserving, sharing and celebrating America’s gardens and diverse gardening traditions from coast to coast.

Membership opportunities include visits to private gardens via the Open Days Series, invitations to behind-the-scenes tours, garden restoration events, expert lectures, virtual talks, a digital subscription to Better Homes & Gardens and more.

Individual Membership pricing begins at $50.