One of the greatest joys of being a gardener is sharing your bounty. Most gardeners are proud to show off the fruits of their labor, and it can be so much fun putting together your very own homemade, garden-inspired gifts. If you are fortunate enough to have your own thriving herb garden, here are a few inspired gift ideas that will have your lucky recipients enjoying the aromas and flavors straight from your garden.

Design Your Own Herbal-Inspired Garden Candles

Candles are one of those versatile gifts that you can give to close friends and family. They are both practical and luxuriant, providing warmth (literally) and imparting a sense of hearth and home. If you have experience with candle making, this can be a fun and creative way to treat your family and friends to a handmade gift. Use your own herbal garden to infuse your candles with special scents from your garden. Use flowers, herbs and leaves to meld them directly into the wax. You can create stunning results with minimal effort. Even if you have no candle making experience, you can purchase high quality plain candles and add your own herbal touch, directly from your garden.

Create Personal Herbal Satchels

For those family members and friends who love potpourri and all good things nice-smelling, create personal herbal satchels. This is a great way to keep dried flowers and petals that still have plenty of aroma and life left in them. Plunder your old flower arrangements, bouquets and your own blooming garden for dried flowers, herbs and petals. Toss these wonderfully aromatic dried herbs and flowers together and package them in pretty satchels, bowls or jars. It may take a while to determine which herbs and flower scents work well together, but it is usually a pretty safe bet that most recently fresh flower petals will create a delicious aroma. Tie a pretty bow around your satchel, and watch your recipients faces light up. This makes the perfect gift for your favorite romantic or flower-lover in your life.

Bottle Up Your Own Herb Infused Oil Concoctions

Do you have a gourmet cook in the family? If so, here is a perfect gift idea for those appreciate the finer things in life. One of the best ways to preserve fresh herbs is to save them in herbal oils. Use a high quality cooking oil, such as cold-pressed olive oil. Use a decorative kitchen bottle and fill it with high quality oil. Then add a sprig or two of your favorite garden herb. Good choices include fresh rosemary sprigs, thyme or other fresh herbs growing in your garden. Tie a pretty bow on the bottle, and you are set. This makes a great housewarming gift, too. Inform your recipient that your herb-infused oil concoction will be at its prime in two months time.

More Fun and Easy Gift Ideas for the Gourmet on Your List

For those in your life who appreciate good cooking, here are a few more ideas on how to turn your fresh herb garden into wonderful gifts. You can create herbal vinegars that your recipient can use to flavor salads and create their own salad dressings. You can also create spicy and fresh herb seasoning mix packets. This is a great idea if you grow regional herbs and you want to share your area’s flavors with an out-of-towner. If you have a favorite martini-drinker in your family, consider making flavored vodka. You can brew your very own flavored vodka, infused with such fragrant herbs as lavender or rosemary. This is a unique and wonderful hostess or house-warming gift that will surely wow even the most discerning friend or family member.