Living Gifts for People Who Love to Garden
Give shade for summer afternoons, evergreen privacy, or woodland texture. We grow trees and perennials that keep giving for years. So why wrap something that wilts?
Why a Living Gift Beats Another Thing on the Shelf
- They help shape more intentional outdoor spaces, like a planned shade spot or an evergreen screen. Evergreens rank among the best trees for privacy because they hold their foliage all year.
- They give the recipient a reason to get outside for planting, watering, and checking on new growth.
- Native picks like Christmas Fern can add habitat value to woodland and shade gardens.
- They often mean more as they establish. A seedling planted this fall can still be growing a decade from now.
Gifts for People Who Love to Garden: A Shade Tree for the Next Generation
Silver Maple Seedlings: Native Shade That Grows for Decades
Got a gardener with real acreage? This is the gift for them. The silver maple is a native hardwood that grows fast and tops out well over 25 feet. Its deeply lobed leaves open bright green in spring and turn soft yellow to gold in fall. Even the bare winter branches look good. Native trees like this one also give birds and other wildlife quality habitat. Keep in mind that this is a big tree. It belongs on a farm, an estate, or a large lawn, not a tight backyard.
- 25 bare-root seedlings per order, enough to start a grove or restoration planting
- Fast-growing native maple hardy in Zones 3 through 9, reaching over 25 feet
- Thrives in full sun to partial shade, with golden yellow fall color
Living Privacy: One of Our Top Gifts for People Who Love to Garden
Green Giant Arborvitae: A Fast-Growing Evergreen Screen
Does someone on your list want more privacy or a buffer from wind? Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja plicata × Thuja standishii) grows fast into a tall, dense cone that stays deep green all year. Plant one as a specimen, or plant several in a row to build a living fence or windbreak. The thick foliage also gives birds shelter. It takes full sun to part shade, with at least 6 hours of sun, and grows in many soils. Keep in mind that it tops 25 feet at maturity.
- Fast-growing evergreen that reaches over 25 feet tall and stays green year-round
- Grows in full sun to part shade (6+ hours) across planting zones 4-9
- Dense foliage for privacy screens and windbreaks, with shelter for birds
No Room for Small Trees? Try These Shade and Indoor Gifts
Not every gardener has space for another tree. So we paired a tough native fern for shady yards with a hands-on terrarium kit for indoor growers. These are gifts for people who love to garden, sized for tight spaces. The best pick depends on their light and space.
The Faithful Christmas Fern
A native woodland fern that quietly returns year after year, perfect for shady corners and low-fuss gardeners.
$7.99 View Details
The Mountain Terrarium Kit
Live plants collected from the Tennessee mountains, ready to become a tiny indoor garden for any season.
$27.99 View DetailsHow to Pick a Living Gift That Will Thrive
The best gifts for people who love to garden fit the garden they already have. So before you choose, ask yourself a few quick questions. What space do they have? How much sun does it get? And when will the plant go in the ground?
Start With Space
Big trees need big yards. A Silver Maple seedling belongs in an expansive landscape with room to spread, far from the house. For a city lot, small trees or ornamental trees are the safer bet.
Privacy plantings need a plan too. Before you give Green Giant Arborvitae, make sure your recipient has measured the row and knows the spacing they want. You'll find more screening options in our evergreens for privacy and year-round color.
Match the Light
Light decides almost everything. Christmas Fern suits shaded, woodland-style beds under existing trees. Is the gardener's yard mostly dry and sunny? Then water wise plants will likely do better there. Shade loving perennials need a different site.
- Deep shade: Christmas Fern
- Open, roomy yard: Silver Maple
- Property line: Green Giant Arborvitae
- Indoors: Terrarium Plants Kit
Think Beyond This Season
Terrarium plants are the pick for indoor makers. They also suit anyone without a yard.
Can you give a tree as a holiday gift?
Yes. Just plan for timing. If your recipient will plant in spring or early summer, they should prepare the bed, have mulch on hand and set a regular watering schedule.
Choose a Gift They Can Successfully Establish
A well-matched plant is the more sustainable gift. It's far more likely to thrive for years. Browse our living plant gifts with your recipient's yard in mind.
Can't Guess Their Garden? Let Them Choose
The TN Nursery Digital Plant Gift Card
Not sure if they want small trees or flowering trees? Skip the guessing. Our Digital Gift Card arrives in their inbox within moments, with your custom message attached, and starts at just $25. They pick the trees, shrubs, or perennials that fit their own site and style. That makes it one of the easiest gifts for people who love to garden, especially for last-minute holidays, birthdays, or a gardener who lives across the country. And if they already keep a detailed wish list? Even better.
- Sent straight to the recipient's email with your personal message, so shipping delays aren't a worry
- Redeemable across our trees, shrubs, perennials, and more, so they choose what suits their own yard
- Starts at $25 and works for holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and last-minute surprises
Gifting Live Plants: Your Questions Answered
Can you give a tree as a holiday gift?
Yes. A digital gift card is the easiest way to do it. It's one of the most flexible gifts for people who love to garden, because your recipient picks the plants and the timing. They can choose what fits their location and planting plan. Want to give native tree seedlings or ornamental trees but don't know their yard? The gift card lets them decide.
How are live plants shipped?
We ship all items by 3–4 day ground shipping. Keep in mind that we can't cancel an order once the plants are dug.
What should the recipient do when a live plant arrives?
Open the box right away and inspect every plant. Then plant each one based on its own needs. A shade fern and sun-loving water wise plants won't want the same spot. After that, follow through with proper aftercare as the plant settles in.
Is there a live-arrival guarantee?
Yes. Every order includes a 24-hour live arrival guarantee. The clock starts when the carrier marks the package delivered. Spot a problem? Email photos and your order number to customerservice@tennesseewholesalenursery.com within those 24 hours. Claims after that window aren't eligible for replacement, refund, or store credit.
Can plants be returned?
No. We don't accept returns or offer refunds. But you still have options. When it applies and the product is available, we may offer a reshipment. If the item is unavailable, we may offer in-store credit instead. You can also add an extended plant warranty, but only when you buy it at the time of order.
Give a Gift That Grows for Years
The best gifts for people who love to garden keep giving long after the holidays. A seedling can become summer shade, a privacy screen, or shelter for songbirds. Not sure what they'd plant?
