As giving holidays go, Father’s Day is a bit of a tough one. Unlike Mother’s Day, when a nice bouquet of flowers or a gift card for a massage works wonders, men tend to be a bit trickier to buy for. My Dad had a huge impact on my life, so I feel for those who struggle to find a gift that is both sentimental and practical. In my experience, most Dads are happy to receive anything, but the best gifts are the ones that cater to his personal interests.
If the Dad in your life is the kind of guy with an interest in landscaping, a gift for the yard or garden will absolutely hit the mark. These gift ideas combine beauty, practicality, and sentimentality, reminding him of you for many years to come.
For just a little something special, perennials and houseplants are the way to go. Easy to gift in a single pot, he can still plant these within the month and enjoy them for the rest of the season (and the next, and the next after that!).
Native Plants: If Dad is big on conservation, environmentalism, or vegetable gardening, gorgeous native flowers are a perfect fit. These practical options evolved naturally over centuries to thrive in our climate, making them exceptionally low-maintenance. Meanwhile, they are the absolute best choices for attracting, nourishing, and providing shelter to important pollinators and other wildlife.
Plants with Great Fall Colour: We’re big believers in landscapes with a four-season appeal, and one thing we’ve noticed is many folks tend to forget about planting for fall colour. If Dad’s landscape looks great in the summer and a little drab in the fall, shrubs and perennials with gorgeous fall tones make a brilliant remedy.
Tropicals: Tropical plants aren’t cold-hardy for Guelph winters, but they sure love our summers! Often featuring bold foliage and fun colours, tropical plants make great accents for the patio in the summer and high-impact houseplants in the winter. Calling these guys a “smaller” gift might be a misnomer; they’re actually available in many sizes, from small young plants that fit on his desk to towering, shade-giving specimens.
If this year’s occasion is extra special—maybe it’s your partner’s first Father’s Day, or perhaps your Dad achieved something big this year—something a little more spectacular might be more appropriate.
Japanese Maples: Another phenomenal choice for fall colour; these trees are always a winner. I especially love trees as gift ideas for Dads of younger kids, because they can watch the tree grow taller along with their children. Not only is the symbolism beautiful, but the trees are too–Japanese Maples tend to become the stars of the landscape. I’m especially fond of the Waterfall variety; the foliage is just incredible, and they’re a little more tolerant of shade than others.
Water Features: If he’s the type of guy who loves to take a snooze under the shade, a water feature will change his life. The sound of the flowing water adds soothing ambient sound while helping to filter out noise from neighbouring yards and streets. They also make a gorgeous focal point for any landscape. You can surprise him with a ready-made, plug-and-play model, or work with him to create a custom-built feature to match the flow of his yard.
If this is the year you really want to spoil him, he’ll never expect a full-on landscape makeover. It could be a brand new deck, a complete backyard remodel, or finally fixing that cracked sidewalk he’s been meaning to deal with for ages—our landscaping team can make it happen!
While it’s a little too close to Father’s Day to do a surprise reveal, we can put any amount on a gift card to use toward any landscaping project. We can work with Dad directly to bring his vision to life, or we can work in cahoots with you (and maybe Mom or your siblings) to create a customized design for him. Give us a call, and we can work with you on a plan that will blow him away.
Even though many Dads may say stuff like “I don’t care what I get,” or insist that you “don’t get anything,” we all know how much it really means when we show them our love and gratitude. The right gift for his landscape is so much more than a plant or a deck—it’s a piece of home that reflects the ones he loves the most.
