What’s the best gardening gift you’ve received?

power of friendship
For my 45th birthday, my wife gave me cushioned knee pads. They’re good for working on soil, wood, asphalt, and even concrete. They fit so well and are so comfortable that I’ve forgotten I’m even wearing them—once, I even wore them to the grocery store.
—Greg Cariglia, Mansfield Center, CT

heavy hauler
My best gift is a large metal garden cart. Hauling mulch takes fewer trips because it holds about five times the amount a wheelbarrow can.
—Jean Anderson, Bradley, SC

garage sale green
My dad built me a potting table using an old aluminum sink. It’s the perfect height. I put a pot under one drain hole to catch potting soil and a bucket under the other to recycle water. It’s worth a million dollars to me!
—Michelle Bonner, Tyler, TX

all-in-one efficiency
With my multi-purpose garden knife, I can dig holes, cut roots, and transplant easily, all with one tool. My days in the garden are now less about work and more about enjoying myself.
—Jeremy Pardo, Monsey, NY

thanks for the memories
The best gifts are items of garden art I’ve received over the years from vacationing friends and neighbors. I place them throughout my garden and treasure each piece. —Sara E. Bupp, York, PA
warm glow

Janet, my best friend, gave me a fire pit. When I light it, it reminds me of years ago, when we would sit around our campfire at night after we finally got the kids to fall asleep!
—Lorraine Boisse, Smithfield, RI

living gift keeps giving
Instead of buying cut roses that would die, my husband bought me enough rose bushes to make an entire rose garden. Now I will have his beautiful roses for life. 
—Julia Jester, Glencoe, AR

friendship power
After a back injury, I wasn’t able to garden. So my friend Dan bought me a lightweight little power tiller. It’s been four years, and that tiller is still my joy. It’s let me keep gardening.
—Dolly Koch, Oxford, AR
 

more than bargained for
I love Chinese wisteria, and my husband bought a couple on sale for $5 each. He was shocked when I told him they can grow up to 30 inches tall and need support from a sturdy arbor. My $10 plants managed to get me a beautiful $300 arbor for my front yard!
—Dana Jones, Washington, IN 

shovelful of memories
My best garden gift was my father’s old gardening spade. He once had to replace the wooden handle, but otherwise the tool had been in use for over half a century. He passed it on to me, and I’m still using it 15 years later.
—Marilyn Lytle, McKinleyville, CA

recording the years
The best gift was a gardening journal from my mother. It has places for daily notes as well as a plant inventory list and a place where you can document harvests.
—Charlene Derhammer, Cheboygan, MI