Sharing know-how about UK gardening

Even if the recipient isn't into gardening, there are plenty of ornamental and practical gifts to suit the most awkward of people to buy for.

Here are just a few ideas we've come up with in the past, and we'll add to them as we come across new ones. So, in no particular order:

• A garden makeover by mail order.
• A seed or plant catalogue with a voucher from the same company.
• National Garden Gift vouchers - widely accepted, and available from garden centres, nurseries or on line
• A packet of seeds.
• Gardening gloves - lightweight or heavy-duty thornproof, but make sure you avoid leather ones if the recipient is vegan.
• Multi-purpose secateurs to cut the usual things, and those you shouldn't, such as string and wire.
• A garden plant - ornamental or for edible fruit - those in containers can be planted at any time.
• Ornamental plant pots.
• Solar-powered lighting.
• An ornamental outdoor thermometer.
• An ornamental outdoor clock.
• A sundial - either wall-mounted or on a plinth.
• A max-min thermometer.
• A weather monitor.
• A weather vane.
• A bird bath.
• A bird table.
• A bird-feeder kit.
• Bird food.
• Garden furniture covers - for every item you can think of, plus washing lines, to keep them clean and dry.
• A car boot liner - for anyone taking stuff to the tip, tools to the allotment or plants home from the garden centre.
• Garden tidy bag - durable woven polyethylene bags that stand upright for use and pack away flat.
• A compost bin.
• Lawn games - bowls, croquet.
• A pergola.
• A parasol.
• A selection of garden ties and twine.