16 presents for gardeners and nature lovers
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Line Painting (03251), 2017, by Tanya Ling, £17,000
Tanya Ling has just had her third sell-out show of epic abstract paintings in oil at New York gallery Harper’s. I’d love to own one of her energising and mesmerising line drawings in sap-green watercolour ink, which were first shown in London back in 2017. Each one is framed in polished aluminium. tanyaling.com
Great Dixter symposium, £2,950, and planting spade, £79.95
The intense, week-long deep dive into gardening at Great Dixter is forever at the top of my wishlist. One day I will have the time to commit to it, but until then I’ll settle for this hand-forged planting spade with ash handle that is head gardener Fergus Garrett’s favourite tool. greatdixter.co.uk
Bordallo Pinheiro earthenware Papaya platter, £80
The veg- and fruit-themed crockery from this Portuguese maker are pretty irresistible and always make a table pop. matchesfashion.com
Gardenheir denim Japanese gardening smock, $128
There’s not a single thing that I wouldn’t want to receive from Gardenheir, a chic gardening store in the Catskills in upstate New York, but I am especially besotted with its smocks, which come in the most delicious fabrics: it’s a close call between the light denim and marigold cotton drill. gardenheir.com
Mauviel copper 24cm whisking bowl, £139
Whipping up perfect meringue peaks is an art but made all the more enjoyable with this perfectly designed copper bowl, which has a bronze ring for hanging. boroughkitchen.com
Toast cotton-cashmere stripe socks, £23
If I spot anything in this intense, invigorating shade of viridian green, I snap it up. These socks will keep my feet cosy in the garden over winter. toa.st
Cambridge Imprint letter tray, £29
In my never-ending quest to be more tidy, a stack of Cambridge Imprint’s beautiful A4 letter trays would be indispensable. My favourites are the Persephone and Oak Leaves patterns in mustard and sap green. cambridgeimprint.co.uk
Niono bowl and spoon, €12
These mini horn bowls and spoons will make a particularly pleasing addition to the dinner table – perfect for some Maldon salt flakes or spices. caravane.co.uk
Niwaki 8ft original tripod ladder, £349
Niwaki’s tripod ladders have a cult following for good reason: they provide a completely stable and safe base, and the tripod leg makes it really easy to get right up close with hedges. Plus, they’re light enough for me to carry around from job to job. niwaki.com
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella Melograno in scented terracotta, £60
I once managed to live in Florence and not visit Farmacia Santa Maria Novella. I’ve spent the past two decades making up for the oversight. The signature Melograno scent is elegant and timeless and infused into its clay pomegranates. It also lasts for ages, so I can dream I’m back in a Tuscan palazzo. smnovella.com
&Daughter lambswool Ada cardigan, £335
I spend most of the winter hunkered down as much as possible in UK-made knitwear from &Daughter. I love the slightly boyish cuts of its funnel-neck sweaters. I’ve got my eye on the Ada cardigan in green, which is made in Scottish-spun geelong lambswool. and-daughter.com
Stihl HSA 56 cordless hedge trimmer, from £159
Finding a hedge trimmer that isn’t too bulky but will also seamlessly glide through towering hedges is my gardening holy grail. This battery-powered beauty is super-strong but also won’t turn my arms to jelly after 15 minutes. stihl.co.uk
Rimowa aluminium Original Check-In M suitcase, £1,230
My ancient battered Rimowa case lost a wheel during a particularly fraught transfer in Liguria last summer and needs to be repaired. But one Rimowa was never enough anyway – the aluminium cases glide round airports beautifully. rimowa.com
Patia Davis round baking dish, £155
The gorgeous slipware of this Herefordshire-based potter sells out quickly whenever there’s a new batch in stock. This deep and practical dish is stunning and typical of Davis’s richly coloured clay. tinsmiths.co.uk
Gedding Mill steel dining table and chairs, £3,640
I’ve coveted this hand-forged, galvanised and etched table-and-chair set for years. They are designed and built in Suffolk by a family firm that has been doing so for decades. I love the scrolled feet and arms. They are elegant, can stay out in the garden year-round, and will also last forever. geddingmill.co.uk
Dalefoot double-strength wool compost, £13.99
Winter work in the garden starts with adding goodness to the soil. I’ll need a lot more than one bag of this enriched, organic and peat-free compost, which is made with sheep’s wool, bracken and comfrey. dalefootcomposts.co.uk
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