The Carrot Tops Allotment Blog!

If you have a mother who has an allotment, loves to garden or a mother who loves flowers and plants I’ve cobbled together some gift ideas to salute Mother’s Day 2018.

Monty Don – Down to Earth

Down to Earth by Monty Don was published last year and from what I can see, has been flying off the shelves. It’s still marked as a number 1 best seller on Amazon, so if you’re a Gardener’s World fan this gift will certainly earn you some brownie points.

Click here to purchase it off Amazon

Gold Leaf Gloves – Dry touch

I was the lucky recipient of  pair of Gold Leaf Gloves Dry Touch gloves this Christmas and I have to say, without understatement, these have to be the best pair of gardening gloves I’ve ever owned. The dry touch is a fantastic multi-purpose glove and they’re so comfortable to work in. You can find your local stockist here.

RHS Membership

The RHS is the world’s leading horticultural organisations – so it makes sense to be a member if you’re into gardening. Also the gardens have some great seasonal events to attend which can make for some lovely days out. You also get a discount for tickets to the Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows. To see some membership options – click here.

Kitchen Garden Magazine subscription

I recently admitted in a Twitter chat that I hardly ever buy a garden magazine. On reflection, this is a bit of a shame – I really should purchase magazines more often because they are so rich in content, community and competitions. Paying for a subscription is a great gift for someone in this day and age. You’re giving them the gift of reading! Click here to see about a subscription to Kitchen Garden Magazine.

Grow Your Own Magazine subscription

OK, so there are dozens of the gardening magazines on the shelves – so you don’t have to subscribe to just Kitchen Garden Magazine. Grow Your Own Magazine is also very good and very highly regarded.  They too have a great readership and they often include seeds with their issues. Click here to see about subscriptions to Grow Your Own Magazine.

Tickets to RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Tickets to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 are now on sale and from experience this makes for a great day out. Chelsea is rich in plant and design inspiration. There are tonnes of stalls and you can easily find out what the fashion trends of the year ahead will be. I went to the Chelsea Flower Show last year, so click here to see some pictures of some of the gardens. Click here to purchase tickets.

Tickets to RHS Hampton Flower Show

I’ve been to Hampton Court a number of times – but I’ve never been to the RHS Hampton Flower Show. I can imagine it being a great addition or alternative to RHS Chelsea, but either way it’s another fantastic day out to put in the diary. Hampton Court Palace is stunning in all weathers, and the gardens – even without a show are great. If you go, let me know if you complete the maze! Click here to purchase tickets.

Alex Mitchell – Gardening on a shoestring

Alex Mitchell offers some great ideas when it comes to gardening on a budget. As I was doing research for this post – this was listed on my Amazon account as a number 1 best seller. It should tie in with a lot of the sentiments that allotment goer’s have and that’s how to do things in the most cost efficient way possible. If your mother has an allotment, this book should really help her out. Click here to purchase a copy.

Herb Garden Seed Growing Kit Gift Box – Thompson and Morgan

I’ve done a post recently about how important herbs are when it comes to cooking – it’s a great read so you should check it out here. These sorts of kits are great and they set you up with everything you need to start your own herb garden. This particular kit contains seeds for basil, parsley, chives, coriander and rocket, as well as seed starters, snips, labels and pot plugs. Click here to purchase your herb growing kit.

3 piece tool set – Spear and Jackson

I have a pair of Spear and Jackson sheers and they’re truly brilliant. This particular set utilises carbon steel and have weatherproofed handles to enhance durability. Tools really should stand the test of time in my book and recently – I’ve gone through trowels like there’s no tomorrow, I doubt I’m the only one, so this should be a really well received gift.  Click here to purchase.

There we have it! This year’s Mother’s Day Gift suggestions – if there’s any I might have missed, leave a comment below 🙂