Nurserywoman Yvonne Colburn of Miller Farms Nursery thinks almost any kind of garden tool will make a gardener happy. It would make a nice gift to fill up a garden cart with tools, plants, bulbs and gloves. Spring for the money. They are worth it. She also suggests digging tools from the Smith and Hawkins catalog such as a flat-ended fork and shovel.
Books make fine holiday gifts for the gardener as well.
Midge Catching of Mad River Gardens Nursery advises giving vegetable cookbooks to produce gardeners. She also recommends The Shade Gardener by Ken Druse, and the new completely revised and updated Sunset Western Garden Book. Park Seed Co. Nurserywoman Lydia Rieman of Pierson's Garden Shop thinks that water wands, pump-up sprayers, irrigation timers and other practical items are appropriate holiday gifts for gardeners. My husband gave me one for Christmas and it was pretty neat. Rieman suggests putting together an herb garden kit, with a planter, seeds and potting soil.