Looking for Mother's Day gardening and homesteading gift ideas? We've got you covered with 10 gifts for moms who love getting their hands dirty, practicing self-sufficiency, buying local, spending time with their families and the great outdoors.
Classic Mother’s Day gifts, such as chocolates, flowers and time to herself, never go out of style.
However, moms who garden, homestead, hobby farm, homeschool, participate in outdoor sports or just relish the rural lifestyle may appreciate a more functional gift.
Here, we share 10 unique Mother’s Day gift ideas for country mamas who really do do it all.
10 Mother's Day Gifts for Gardeners and Homesteaders
1. Cast Iron Cookware
Buying a woman cookware for Mother’s Day (especially if she’s the primary family cook) is typically frowned upon.
However, most homesteading and outdoor-loving mamas will appreciate the addition of cast iron cookware to their set.
Before buying, check and see what she already has, then find out what she still wants/needs.
For example, most country kitchens already have cast iron skillets and maybe Dutch ovens.
However, additional cast iron cookware, such as a naturally non-stick waffle iron, cute corn-shaped cornbread pan, griddle, grill pan or Dutch oven specifically for campfire cooking, may be high on her wish list.
Lehman’s is a fantastic resource for cast iron cookware, including stovetop or campfire waffle makers.
2. A Mess Of Flowers To Plant…Or To Plant For Her
Take the traditional Mother’s Day bouquet to a new level by showering your mom with a big flat (or 2, 3 or 4) of her favorite flowers to plant.
Some heat-tolerant annual and perennial options for the hot Southern summers include:
- Dahlias
- The Aztec Sunset Mexican zinnia
- Lantanas
- Coneflowers
- Black Eyed Susans
- Daisies
- Supertunias
- Daylilies
- Calendula
- Bearded iris
- Lavender (Kentucky Lavender Farmers at Woodstock Lavender Farms recommend English varieties or “Phenomenal” for Southern climates)
- Peonies
- Sunflowers
- Caladiums
- Hibiscus
- Jasmine
Once you’ve surprised her with a colorful bounty, give her the option of me-time to plant the flowers herself, family time planting together or let her sit back and relax with a glass of lemonade or sweet tea while the family does the planting for her.
The gift of living flowers will offer her months of peaceful enjoyment and pleasure all summer long.
3. A Nice, Long Massage Or Stretch Session
Every mom deserves pampering on Mother’s Day, especially those who engage in regular physical labor, such as homesteading, hobby farming, etc.
A gift certificate for a one-hour, 90-minute or even two-hour massage or assisted stretching session from her favorite day spa or massage therapist will be deeply appreciated and help keep her body and mind in tip-top shape.
Many spas and therapists also offer Mother’s Day packages, so inquire about specials.
4. Homemade Gardener’s Hand Balm
Homesteading, gardening and farming can do a number on your hands.
Add in additional “mom chores” like bathing kiddos, cooking and baking and doing dishes, it’s no wonder expensive heavy-duty hand balms have become big business.
In the spirit of homesteading, try making a custom DIY version like this Rich Honey Hand Balm recipe from Hello Glow. It combines honey with nourishing plant oils, beeswax and shea butter.
Or this super simple two-ingredient recipe for tallow balm from From Scratch Homestead.
You can even add her favorite essential oils to create a custom all-natural scent.
5. A Tea Subscription From A Local(ish) Grower
Tea subscriptions or curated boxes from local/American tea companies are the perfect tension tamer for a busy, eco-conscious and/or patriotic mama.
Companies like Table Rock Tea Company (as featured here) and Farmhouse Teas are two examples of American-based tea companies that either grow all their own tea or blend their own teas using some American or local ingredients.
6. A Wooden Recipe Box With Recipe Cards
Online recipe sites have made finding recipes a snap.
However, organizing all those recipes can take time and effort, especially when you have hard copies of heritage family recipes to include in the mix.
Old-fashioned wooden recipe boxes solve this issue and look great in a farmhouse kitchen.
The Tidita Acacia Wood Recipe Box with Cards is a perfect way to organize all recipes in one place. Old family recipes on 4X6 cards (the standard in the old days) can be included, as can online recipes printed using the recipe card 4X6 printing option.
You can print them on card stock and cut them or on regular printer paper and affix them to the recipe cards included in the box.
This gift will be cherished by your mother and generations to come.
7. A Farmer’s Market Sampler Basket
Moms who love to shop local will adore a custom, hand-made basket stocked with goodies and personal care products from your local farmer’s market.
Here are some ideas for her farmer’s market Mother’s Day basket:
- Handmade beeswax candles
- Her favorite cookies
- Jewelry from a local artisan
- Kombucha or local wines
- Coffee or tea
- Crackers
- Seasonal produce
- Tasty dips and spreads
- Fancy cheeses and cured meats
- Skincare products like body lotion, sugar scrubs and lip balms
- Elderberry syrup or other herbal tinctures
- Folk art pieces
For a personal touch, you can even include some family-made items, such as baked goods, a necklace, that DIY hand balm listed above or a framed photo.
8. A Hobby-Related Course
Most moms love a chance to invest in themselves through learning new arts, crafts and skills.
For homesteading mamas, this could mean gifting her an in-person or online course such as:
- Fly fishing
- Primitive skills and crafting
- Food preservation
- Cheesemaking
- Soap making
- Yarn spinning
- Yoga, Tai Chi or Qi Gong
- A carpentry class for women
- Blacksmithing
- Butchery
- Sourdough bread-making
- Hide tanning
- Leatherworking
- Candlemaking
- Business classes, such as how to start a blog or other ways to make money from her land
- Permaculture
- Foraging
- Archery
- Firearms training
- Seed saving
- Mushroom growing and cultivation
- Herbalism
- Campfire cooking
The options are endless! Pay attention to what she’s interested in learning and start from there.
The School of Traditional Skills, Homesteaders of America and Wild Abundance offer various homesteading workshops.
You can also check with your extension office, library, and college or university for local classes and events.
9. A Freeze Dryer
This is a big gift with a big price tag. Household freeze dryers typically start at around $2500.
However, a freeze dryer is the ultimate food preservation tool for moms who love putting up food and/or prepping but don’t have all day to do it.
The benefit of a freeze dryer is it’s easy to operate, fast and preserves (nearly) all types of foods for 25 years.
Plus, you could write off the expense if she’s already running a homesteading business, such as growing medicinal herbs, running a CSA or doing a farm-to-fork.
Harvest Right is the favorite among homesteaders, and they have sales a few times a year.
You may also be able to find a used freeze dryer on Marketplace or eBay.
10. A Family Photo Shoot On Her Land
Suppose it’s been a while since your last family photo shoot. In that case, Mother’s Day is a wonderful time to get the family together for a professional photo session featuring your rural land!
One caveat: Moms (generally) don’t love to be surprised by the prospect of having their pictures taken! They also usually like to be involved in wardrobe choices and styling.
Therefore, you may want to give this as a gift certificate or let her know you’re planning a photo shoot and to dress to impress.
And if your wife, mother or grandma doesn’t care about all that, have fun surprising her with the shoot on Mother’s Day.
Add a thoughtfully planned picnic after the photo session, and you’ve helped create a memory that will last forever.
If hiring a photographer isn’t in the cards this year, don’t worry. You can still make this work.
Ask a friend to take the photos or set up a tripod or long selfie stick.
From there, use free photo software, like Pixlr or Gimp, to finesse your family photos until they’re just right.
Looking For More Homesteading Gift Inspiration?
Check out the following articles:
- Top 14 Gifts for the Homesteader and Hobby Farmer’s Kitchen
- 20 Hobby Farming & Homesteading Gift Ideas for the Holidays
- Gifts for Off-Grid and Outdoor Enthusiasts
Happy Mother’s Day from the RethinkRural and Raydient teams!
