Monks Wisdom

Socks? Again? This year, give him a project he’ll actually get stuck into. Here are gardening gifts for men that grow.

Your imagined spring photograph looks impressive. Your seeds have not seen the deadline. Plan a growing journey you will enjoy at its own pace.

The imaginary gift-opening moment looks perfect. Now think about the following morning and whether the recipient has somewhere suitable to grow it

You have found a one-pot gap on the windowsill. Give it a sensible audition before offering it a permanent growing job.

Give everyone a job, open a growing diary and explain early that there will not be a forest by tomorrow morning. A family project begins here.

Rain has cancelled the walk again. Clear the kitchen table and turn a wet afternoon into a growing project you can actually manage.

The kit has arrived. Your calendar is less enthusiastic. Here is how to check whether your growing project can wait for a sensible start.

There is definitely a pot somewhere in your cupboard. Before buying more supplies, find out whether seeds or a starter kit solve your real problem.

Does a Master kit require master-level skills? Put the imaginary qualifications away and compare what you would actually use.

One project has you imagining a future tree. The other has you thinking about roast potatoes. Find the grow kit that fits your autumn ambitions.

A bonsai kit is one of the most memorable gifts you can give — but not all kits are built the same. Here's what to actually look for, plus our pick for first-timers.

The best gift this year won't have a shop's logo on the box — it'll have a seed packet in it. Bonsai, herbs, flytraps and Christmas trees, matched to every kind of person on your list.