Mr McGregor /Beatrix Potter Gardening Gift Basket

Perfect for Easter or simply as a gift, this basket filled with useful goodies for a gardener is inspired by both Mr McGregor and Beatrix Potter’s love of gardening.

This post is broken up into two parts– ideas for an adult gift basket, while the second part provides ideas for a child’s gardening gift basket. Whether it’s for a current gardener or to introduce them to the world of gardening, these baskets will be a hit for all.

Note: Amazon affiliate links are included throughout to provide ideas for items mentioned in this post.

For both baskets you’ll need:

• a wicker gift basket or white wooden crate
• natural wood basket filler

Mr McGregor inspired gift basket ideas [for adults]

• Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life. This book is perfect for any fan of Beatrix Potter, but also those looking for a little garden inspiration. It explores her history through the gardens she knew, and her own gardens through the seasons. Finishing off the book, and my favourite part, is a list of the plants found, both in her own gardens, but also in the books she created, from The Tale of Peter Rabbit to The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher.
• Seedlings. We took inspiration from Mr McGregor’s garden, including french beans for height. Other edible plants from his garden include cabbage, cucumber, gooseberry, lettuce, nasturtiums, onion, parsley, peas, potato, radish and turnips.
• Gardening tools. Cotton gardening gloves and a wooden metal trowel are some basics to include.
• Terracotta pots. These mini pots are adorable but also good for starting any seedlings. Plus they look like they’ve just come from Mr McGregor’s potting shed!
• Twine on a wooden spool. A lovely rustic spool that holds twine will have a country feel, plus it’s practical for lightly tying up any plants that need support as they grow.

Mr McGregor inspired gift basket ideas [for kids]

The world of Peter Rabbit and Mr McGregor is a great way to get kids involved with the garden. By switching out items to be age appropriate, you can encourage their curiosity and teach them where their food come from at a young age.

From the age of two, they’ll be happy to toddle around the garden and help you dig holes. As they get older, they can be more involved, choosing what to grow. Even if you only have space for a large pot on a balcony, there is plenty that can be planted, from snow peas to lettuce and a variety of herbs.

• Insect hotel. Whatever their age, insect houses/hotels are a great way to encourage kids to explore the garden, watching bugs make themselves at home.
• Gardening gloves for little hands.
• A kid-sized garden toolset that fits their hands for good grip. There are many available on Amazon.
• Easy grow seed packets. There are some hardy seeds that grow for even those lacking a green thumb, making it perfect for kids. If you have a bit of a garden, snow peas can be grown up a trellis shaped like a teepee as a garden hideout. Cress seeds can be planted in empty egg shells to create egg heads with hair. Since the cress seed heads are grown inside, the weather won’t matter.
• Seedlings. Getting started and waiting can make anyone impatient! Have seedlings like lettuce where they can pick off leaves and sample straight away will give them an idea of what growing your own vegetables is like.

Looking to finish off the basket with some cute little treats? (I was going to write kid-friendly, but I’d buy these for myself!) Try:

• A Gund Peter Rabbit stuffed toy
• Lindt carrot chocolates can be tucked into the basket for a sweet finish
• Peter Rabbit Colouring Book.

Styling your Mr McGregor Easter basket

Does it matter how you style? Absolutely. When you’re pulling your basket together, you’re looking to add height at the back so the basket doesn’t look flat, and arranging everything so it’s shown to its best advantage. Some tips:

• Use the vegetable seedlings as filler. Snip the trays for smaller pieces, and tuck them in front, behind and in the top of the terracotta pots.
• Use extra wooden basket filler to lift any items up when making final adjustments to the height of items.

Want to see how I styled my adult basket? Watch the video below to see it put together.