Garden Ornaments for Christmas: Gift Ideas and Winter Displays

Every November the same two questions arrive together. What do I buy the gardener in my life? And how do I make my own garden look less bleak in December?

The answer to both is often the same piece. A good garden ornament works as a present on the 25th, and it is still doing its job in June. That is more than a jumper can say.

Here is how I would choose, whether it is going under the tree or straight out onto the patio.

A gift or a display? Decide first

These are two different jobs, and they lead to different choices.

• A gift has to suit someone else's garden and someone else's taste. Play safe on size and bold on character.
• A display is for your own garden in the dark months. Here, light matters far more than shape.

If you are buying for someone else, think about where they would actually put it. A piece that has an obvious home gets used. A piece that needs a whole new corner tends to sit in the shed.

Why solar is the Christmas favourite

By four o'clock in December, most UK gardens are black. A solar light changes that without a cable, a socket or an electrician.

That is why solar pieces make the easiest Christmas gifts. Nobody dislikes seeing the garden glow from the kitchen window.

Be honest with yourself about winter, though. Short days and a low sun mean less charge. A light that runs all evening in July might manage a few hours in December. That is normal, not a fault.

A few things help a lot:

• Put the panel where it sees the most open sky, ideally facing south.
• Keep it clear of evergreen shade and overhanging eaves.
• Wipe the panel every few weeks. Winter grime cuts the charge noticeably.

Our solar garden ornaments range from small stake lights to larger statement pieces. The solar firework lights are the closest thing we sell to a festive sparkle. For the full explanation of winter charging, read how solar ornaments work in UK winters.

Christmas gift ideas by budget

Budget is usually the first filter, so here is a quick way through it.

Under £10

• Copper wire fairy lights - easy to wind through a shrub or a pot.
• A rustic metal dragonfly - small, cheerful and happy outside all year.
• Good stocking fillers, or an add-on to a bigger present.

Under £20

• A brass bell wind chime, for someone who likes a garden that makes a sound.
• The tipsy garden gnome or the frog wizard, for anyone with a sense of humour.
• A solar bee hanging ornament, which works as decoration by day and a light by night.

£20 and over

• The rotating-head owl, a proper talking point on a wall or a post.
• The solar moon crackle glass light, for a quiet glow in a border.
• The solar watering can cascade light, which suits anyone who loves their plants.

One practical tip. Delivery is free over £20, so two smaller gifts in one basket often cost less than one gift on its own. More ideas by budget and occasion are on our garden gifts page.

Matching the gift to the person

Price narrows the list. The person decides it.

• The serious gardener. They have every tool already. Give them something to look at instead, like a wind chime or a solar piece for a border they are proud of.
• A first-time homeowner. Their garden is probably bare. One character piece by the back door makes it feel like theirs.
• Grandparents and grandchildren. A fairy garden set is something they can build together over the holidays.
• Someone with a balcony or courtyard. Go small, light and hanging. Our guide to ornaments for small spaces covers what works.
• The friend who has everything. Pick something deliberately daft from funny and novelty ornaments. Joy is a good enough reason.

A gentle word on Christmas after a loss

For many families, Christmas is when an absence is felt most. A garden piece can give someone a place to stand and think of a person they miss.

If that is the gift you are choosing, take your time. Something quiet usually suits better than something bright. Our memorial and meaningful pieces are a good place to start. Many people also choose a robin, for reasons explained in our piece on robins as symbols of remembrance.

There is no right way to do this. A short handwritten note with the gift often matters more than the piece itself.

Dressing your own garden for December

If the ornament is for you, think about the view rather than the garden. In winter you see your garden mostly from indoors, and mostly after dark.

So start at the window you use most. Then work outwards.

• One lit focal point in the main view from the house.
• A light by the front door or path, which is useful as well as welcoming.
• Something with shape for daytime, when the borders are bare.

Resist the urge to fill every gap. Three well-placed pieces look like a plan. Ten look like a clearance sale. Our post on how many garden ornaments is too many has a simple test for this.

Winter structure helps too. Seed heads, a clipped evergreen and an owl or hedgehog tucked under a shrub carry a garden through to spring.

Will it survive outside over winter?

A garden gift should stay outside, so it needs to cope with frost and rain.

• Resin and metal are the safe choices. They do not soak up water, so frost cannot split them from inside.
• Hollow pieces can trap water. Tip them out and keep the drainage hole clear.
• Water features should be emptied before a hard freeze, or brought in for the winter.

For the full detail by material, read our guide to frost-proof garden ornaments. Our post on overwintering garden ornaments covers what to do with each piece from now until March.

When to order for Christmas

Here is how our delivery works, so you can plan around it.

• Every order is dispatched within 48 hours, Monday to Friday.
• It arrives within 7 days of ordering, dispatch included.
• Remote Highlands and islands can take an extra day or two.

Couriers get busy in the run-up to Christmas, so leave yourself some slack. Ordering by the middle of December is the comfortable choice. Full details are on our delivery page.

If the gift is not quite right, there are 30 days to send it back, and we pay the return postage. That takes most of the risk out of buying for someone else.

Wrapping something that lives outside

Garden ornaments are awkward shapes, and that is half the fun.

Leave the box closed and wrap it as it arrives. The packaging is there to protect the piece, and it gives you a neat shape to wrap.

Then add a note saying where you pictured it going. "By the back door, so you see it every morning" turns an ornament into a thought. It also means it actually goes outside, rather than into a cupboard.

Browse garden gifts, solar ornaments and gnomes and characters, or read our complete guide to solar garden ornaments.

The short version

• A good garden ornament works as a Christmas gift and still earns its place in June.
• Solar pieces suit December best, because UK gardens are dark by four.
• Expect fewer hours of solar light in winter - face the panel south and keep it clean.
• Resin and metal stay out all winter; empty hollow pieces and water features before a freeze.
• Order by mid-December to be comfortable; there are 30 days to return a gift that is not right.

Frequently asked questions

What can I buy a gardener for Christmas?

Something for the garden that needs no looking after. Solar lights, wind chimes and character ornaments all go outside and stay there, so they are seen every day. Gardeners usually own every tool already, which makes a decorative piece a safer choice than another trowel.

Do solar garden lights work in winter in the UK?

Yes, but for fewer hours. Short days and a low sun mean the panel collects less charge, so a light that runs all evening in summer may manage a few hours in December. Face the panel south, keep it out of shade and wipe it clean every few weeks.

Should solar lights be put away in winter?

Most can stay out all year. Bring them in if they will sit under snow for weeks, or if a piece is not rated for outdoor use. Otherwise, leaving them out keeps the battery cycling, and they are there when the light improves in spring.

What are good garden gifts under 20 pounds?

Wind chimes, character ornaments like a gnome or a frog, solar hanging ornaments and the smaller solar stake lights all sit under 20 pounds. Delivery is free over 20 pounds, so pairing two smaller gifts in one order often works out better value.

Can garden ornaments stay outside over winter?

Resin and metal ornaments can stay out all winter because they do not absorb water. Tip water out of hollow pieces, keep drainage holes clear and empty water features before a hard freeze. Porous materials like unglazed terracotta are the ones to bring in.

When should I order to get garden ornaments before Christmas?

Orders are dispatched within 48 hours on weekdays and arrive within 7 days of ordering. Couriers are busier in December, so ordering by the middle of the month is the comfortable choice. Remote Highlands and islands can take an extra day or two.