Gardening Gifts and Grifts
Getting ready for the holidays.
“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” Marcus Cicero
As autumn unfurls its crimson, gold, and pumpkin-colored tapestry, the season of gratitude gently settles in. Wild turkeys strut through my garden like they own the place. They gobble and gossip while leaving behind deposits of fertilizer that I gratefully accept as their rent. At dusk, they flap into my oaks and pines to roost. They are not exactly garden gifts, but I am grateful that my rural refuge is a blend of human habitation and untamed wildlife.
With the holidays fast approaching, it is time to talk about gifts, and, unfortunately, grifts. While we are browsing for thoughtful presents to delight the plant lovers in our lives, scammers are working overtime to fool us. Slick new artificial intelligence tools have made it astonishingly easy to fabricate convincing fake plants, bogus websites, and too-good-to-be-true “botanical discoveries.” This year, as you make your list and check it twice, I have suggestions for real treasures to help you avoid the frauds.
Over the years, the gifts that have thrilled me the most have always been nature-connected. One memorable Christmas when my son was in college, he rolled up with a truckload of boulders. Yes, real, authentic, heavy rocks because he knew I was building a dry creek bed. Another year, he delivered eighteen bales of hay for the barnyard. My daughter gifted me tools, books, and two baby goats. When Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul, the book I co-authored, hit the New York Times best-seller list, my first-grade teacher sent me a beautiful peace lily. That glorious Spathiphyllum has been repotted several times and still blooms boldly in my family room after twenty-four years as a daily reminder of her kindness.
Books and live plants always top my list for “the gifts that keep on giving”. They inspire, teach, and literally grow. As a proud member of Garden Comm, I reached out to fellow horticultural authors whose works can help any gardener cultivate beauty. These books are available at your favorite bookstore, online, and if you want autographed editions, buy copies directly from the author’s website. I also share a fantastic tool that I have found incredibly helpful, and a service I use that can rescue you from most chores. Next month, I’ll offer a collection of living plants that will brighten any home for the holidays.
Before I unveil my Goddess Gardener’s Gift Guide for 2025, I want to address the darker side of this bright season: the garden grifts.
Fraudsters are flooding the marketplace with AI “rare”, “unusual”, or “recently discovered” plants, accompanied by exquisite, impossibly perfect photos of the specimens. Swindlers create polished e-commerce sites, lure you in with these spectacular plants, and, after extracting your money, vanish without a trace. By the time you realize that the plant you purchased is nonexistent, the players have disappeared with no recourse for your monetary investment. Here is how to spot and identify potential scams before you fall for them.
Spam Spotting
1. Examine all photos closely:
Be wary of perfect photos that look more like a painting or a fantasy novel cover. If it has glowing leaves, hyper-symmetrical patterns, or neon colors, it is most likely AI-generated. Use a reverse image tool like Google Images to see if this photo appears on multiple websites or stock photo libraries.
2. Scrutinize the description:
Real plants have scientific names. If there is no scientific name, or the description indicates that this “rare species was recently found on a remote island”, consider this a giant red flag. If the growing instructions appear suspicious, bizarre, or inconsistent with known plant biology, this could be a clue that this plant may not exist at all.
3. Beware of bargain prices:
Don’t fall for the low price on this “very unique specimen”. Proceed with necessary caution. Spammers will price something absurdly low to lure you to provide your credit card and personal information.
4. Don’t be rushed:
Scammers love a pressure play. The demand “Act Now!” or “Only a few left in stock” is the grifter’s trick of urgency. Pause. Take a breath. Verify. Do your diligent homework by searching other sites to see if the plant exists and compare prices if it does.
Beyond these basics, always check the seller’s profile and any reviews. How long have they been in business? Do they specialize in horticulture and gardening elements? Reputable nurseries clearly explain how they pack and ship items. A promise like “worldwide shipping in three days” is fiction and a flashing warning sign of a scam.
The guiding wisdom still holds: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Protect yourself by purchasing from established businesses with solid reputations. Better yet, purchase authentic “exotic” plants from local nurseries, where you will also find expert advice on how to grow your new “shiny” gift.
If you decide to purchase online, I have curated a list of trusted producers to help keep your garden and your wallet safe at https://www.cynthiabrian.com/home-garden-products.
Cynthia Brian’s Goddess Gardener’s Gift Guide for 2025
The following gifts from my colleagues at GardenComm, a community of garden communicators, will excite the gardeners in your life.
Books:
ü Small-Scale Homesteading by Michelle Bruhn and Stephanie Thurow
https://forksinthedirt.com/product/book-small-scale-homesteading/
Learn practical skills for a resilient lifestyle in this sustainable guide to gardening, keeping chickens, maple sugaring, preserving the harvest, and more.
ü High Yield, Small Space Organic Gardening by Christy Wilhelmi
Practical tips for growing your own food.
ü Mythic Plants by Ellen Zachos
Enjoy Greek mythology, traveling, the potions, and poisons from the Gardens of the Gods.
ü Weeds of the Pacific Northwest by Mark Turner and Sami Gray
https://turnerphotographics.com
Weeds are ubiquitous. This book showcases 368 unwanted plants and how to control them.
ü Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired by Dr. Pam Stephens Lehenbauer
A guide to finding inspiration and well-being in a wonder-filled world where nature impacts health and living.
https://mothernaturesapprentice.com
ü Plants are Speaking, Are you Listening? By Linda Langelo
Guides readers through lessons in connecting with the esoteric nature of plans through science.
ü Growing with the Goddess Gardener by Cynthia Brian
https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/books
A bouquet of twelve months of short-true garden stories paired with a full calendar of tips, tricks, and to-do lists to cultivate fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs.
ü Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Cynthia Brian, Cindy Buck, Marion Owen, Pat Stone, and Carol Sturgulewski
https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/books
101 Stories to Sow Seeds of Love, Hope, and Laughter, this book is filled with inspiration and insight for anyone who enjoys plants, trees, and flowers.
ü My Father is the Gardener by Shelley S. Cramm
https://www.gardenindelight.com
Featuring a selection of Biblical plants, My Father is the Gardener unearths inspiration and wisdom through preparing soil, watering, weeding, cultivating, and composting.
Children’s Picture Books
ü Wait like a Seed by Erin Alladin
https://erin-alladin.com/books/
Milkweeds and monarchs star in this nonfiction children’s book celebrating the life cycle of a plant for ages 4-8.
ü Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures by Cynthia Brian
https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/books
A series of four children’s picture books for ages 1-8, with engaging true-animal stories to teach kindness, confidence, friendship, and positive life lessons on a lively, love-filled farm.
Best Garden Tool:
ü CobraHead Mini Weeder and CobraHead Long Handle
The CobraHead Weeder & Cultivator is a multi-purpose tool made of forged steel and other recycled materials. Like all of CobraHead’s line of garden tools, it is made in Wisconsin and built to last.
Service:
ü Honey Homes Handyman Service
This is a terrific gift for anyone who can use help with home or garden challenges. Get a free home walk-thru, and if you subscribe, get $250 off a handyman service at Honey Homes.
ü Home and Garden
https://www.cynthiabrian.com/home-garden-products
A curated list of quality home, garden, beauty, and lifestyle products and services.
I hope these suggestions give you a jump-start on joyful holiday gifting while helping you sidestep the seasonal grifts. It is my honor to share this column with you, and I remain deeply grateful for your loyal readership.
As I write this, the wild turkeys have flapped to the treetops, safe from becoming anyone’s Thanksgiving entrée. May your own holiday be a blissful, bountiful celebration of gratitude with the people you cherish.
Happy Gardening. Happy Growing! Happy Thanksgiving!
For more seasonal gardening tips and inspiration, grab a copy of Growing with the Goddess Gardener at https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/books. Raised in Napa County vineyards, Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach, as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3, named the 2024 Nonprofit of the Year by the Moraga Chamber of Commerce. https://www.BetheStarYouAre.org. Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at https://www.StarStyleRadio.com.
Thank you for the shout out, Cynthia! What a lovely writer you are and imagining your wild turkeys is so fun!