Gifts for Gardeners

Gardeners are famously hard to buy for, because the things they want are either seasonal, enormous, or already in the shed.

Which is why a small felted character works. The Gardener Mouse (£19.99) comes with her freshly pulled carrots, a trusty fork and a look of quiet purpose. The Mouse with Pansy carries a single flower nearly as big as she is. The Beekeeper Mouse arrives in full veil. Monty Carrot Mouse (£14.99) is dressed for winter digging in wellies and a scarf, and the Farmer Mouse is there for the more agricultural end of the spectrum.

For the flower half of gardening there is the Heart and Flowers Sheep — the best-selling thing we make — along with Barbara Sheep with Flower, the Pretty Blue Mouse with Flower, and two ducks carrying bouquets, Daphne and the Beautiful Bouquet Duck. For the wildlife half, a Baby Hedgehog and a felted Robin, the two creatures every gardener claims as their own.

Each is needle-felted by hand from organic wool sourced from Tibet and New Zealand, designed in Faringdon, Oxfordshire by award-winning British designer Sonia Spencer, and made by skilled craftswomen in India. They stand about 12cm tall, cost between £14.99 and £19.99, and come in a gift box.

They also have the useful property of surviving winter, which is more than can be said for most things a gardener is given.

Frequently asked questions

What do you buy a gardener who has everything?

Something that is not a tool. Our Gardener Mouse (£19.99) is a hand-felted character with her own miniature gardening kit — a keepsake rather than another trowel.

What gardening gifts do you make?

The Gardener Mouse, Mouse with Pansy, Beekeeper Mouse, Farmer Mouse, Monty Carrot Mouse, Barbara Sheep with Flower, Pretty Blue Mouse with Flower, Heart and Flowers Sheep, Daphne Duck, Beautiful Bouquet Duck, Baby Hedgehog and the felted Robin.

How much do they cost?

Between £14.99 and £19.99. Three of them comes to under £60 and qualifies for free UK delivery.

What is a good gift for an allotment holder?

The Gardener Mouse with her carrots and fork, or Monty Carrot Mouse in his wellies at £14.99. Both are specific to growing rather than generically floral.

Is it suitable as a Mother's Day gift for a gardening mum?

Very much so — the Mouse with Pansy, Barbara Sheep with Flower and Heart and Flowers Sheep are among our most-bought Mother's Day pieces.

Can it live outside?

No. These are felted wool keepsakes for indoors — a windowsill, a potting shed shelf, a kitchen dresser.

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