Gifts for Mum

A closer look: Left-handed gardeners can use them as easily as right-handers, which isn’t true of every pair. A quick wipe of the blades after pruning helps the non-stick coating keep sap from building up, and at around 230g they’re light enough to carry in a pocket through a whole afternoon of deadheading.

Why we picked it: Japanese SK5 steel blades that slice through stems up to 25mm cleanly, which keeps plants healthier than a crushing cut.

• Japanese SK5 steel
• Cuts up to 25mm
• Lightweight aluminium handles
• Squeeze-to-release lock

What owners say: Extremely sharp and comfortable. Owners say they go through thick stems like a knife through butter.

A closer look: Rather than a box of ready-made shades, the ten tubes form a proper mixing palette: one yellow, a warm and a cool red, a blue, a green, three earth colours, black and white. The buttery paint holds brush marks and dries to a satin finish, and it sits happily alongside artist-grade tubes if they move up later.

• 10 × 60ml tubes
• Artist-grade pigments at a lower strength
• Easy to mix
• Good coverage

What owners say: Very pigmented and easy to mix, great value, and suitable for beginners and experienced painters alike.

A closer look: Despite the heavy leather, the shaped thumb and fingers leave enough feel to grip loppers or tie in a climbing rose. After a wet session, let them dry slowly at room temperature rather than on a radiator, which keeps the cowhide supple. When buying as a gift, a snug size gives better control than a roomy one.

Why we picked it: Elbow-length cowhide that laughs at roses, brambles and nettles. The only gloves to reach for when pruning.

• Cowhide leather
• Elbow-length cuffs
• Thorn and nettle proof
• Men’s and women’s sizes

What owners say: They really do stop thorns, brambles and holly, and they last for years.

A closer look: The scent leans zesty, with lemongrass and ginger alongside the citrus, so it feels more wake-up than wind-down. Light the candle and run the bath, use the scrub before soaking in the salts, then finish with the hand cream. The soap and hand cream carry on being useful by the sink long after the bath night, and none of it contains parabens.

Why we picked it: Six full-size treats rather than tiny samples, all vegan: everything for a proper night off in the bath.

• Bath salts and bath bomb bar
• Soy wax candle
• Hand cream, body scrub and soap
• Vegan
• Gift box

What owners say: A lovely, generous gift with a gorgeous citrus scent. Owners say it feels like a proper treat.

A closer look: Wrap it with a pair of earrings or a ring already sitting in the leaf and the gift explains itself. The white glaze wipes clean, so a quick rinse brings it back if it collects dust or smudges of hand cream. Sized for a day’s rings and studs rather than a whole collection, it suits someone who wants a landing spot by the bed, not proper storage.

Why we picked it: A small glazed leaf that gives rings and earrings a home by the sink or the bed, and looks far pricier than it is.

• Glazed ceramic
• Leaf design
• About 11cm long
• For rings, earrings and keys

What owners say: Looks expensive and beautifully made, and it’s perfect on a bedside table.

A closer look: Fans of Ottolenghi’s food who find his longer ingredient lists daunting will get the most from it, and it sits happily next to the original SIMPLE on the shelf. Mark a page with a sticky note for the dish you’d like cooked for you: a cheeky hint that turns a cookbook into a dinner invitation.

Why we picked it: Yotam Ottolenghi’s follow-up to his hugely popular SIMPLE: big flavours, fewer ingredients and weeknight-friendly recipes.

• Hardback
• Quick, easy recipes
• Big-flavour vegetables and mains

What owners say: Brilliant and never disappointing, with recipes that are quick to make and properly tasty.

Heads up: It’s a new release, so there are fewer reviews than older favourites for now.

A closer look: Finished, it measures about 68 by 49cm, so it needs a spare table or a puzzle board that can slide out of the way at mealtimes. With no picture to copy, sorting pieces by colour and texture early on pays off, and the clues tucked into the box-lid scene are worth studying before the first piece goes down.

Why we picked it: A Wasgij has a twist: you puzzle out what the character in the picture is seeing, not the scene on the box. Guaranteed to start a conversation.

• 1000 pieces
• Wasgij twist puzzle
• Funny scene
• Great quality pieces

What owners say: Great quality and properly addictive. Much more fun than just copying the box.

Heads up: Wasgijs are trickier than normal jigsaws, which is half the fun.

A closer look: Setting it up before it’s wrapped makes the day easier: connect it to Wi-Fi, pair a few family phones through the Frameo app and send a first batch of pictures, so it greets them with familiar faces. At their house it then needs a plug nearby and their Wi-Fi details, and it can hang on the wall or stand on a sideboard.

Why we picked it: The family can send photos from their phones and they appear on the frame moments later, thanks to the popular Frameo app.

• 10.1-inch HD touchscreen
• Frameo app
• Photos and short videos
• Captions on photos

What owners say: Easy to set up and use, with a crisp screen. Owners love sending photos straight to the frame.

A closer look: On sizing, go half a size up if they’re between sizes or like wearing socks with their slippers. The rubber sole has a proper tread, so a trip to the washing line or the car doesn’t mean swapping shoes, and the tweed-effect upper with a little lace trim looks smarter than most slipper boots.

Why we picked it: A warm, snug boot shape with a cushioned sole, so her feet stay toasty from the first coffee to the last episode.

• Faux fur ankle collar
• Fleece lining
• Cushioned insole
• Non-slip sole

What owners say: Warm and cosy, with owners saying they feel like walking on marshmallows.

A closer look: Inside are 30 seed envelopes, 30 plant labels and a marker pen, so seeds saved from this year’s tomatoes or sweet peas can be bagged and named straight away. Sorting the four sections by sowing season works well, and the locking lid stops it springing open if it gets knocked off the potting bench.

Why we picked it: A vintage-green tin with four compartments that finally tames the shoebox of seed packets.

• Metal, vintage green
• 4 compartments
• Carry handles
• Fits standard seed packets

What owners say: A fabulous organiser with plenty of room, and built to last for years.