The New York Times - An unexpected gift

For people who don’t want more things
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The Recommendation

A tree is a bad gift. But it’ll grow on you.

An illustration of a large tree bursting out of a gift box.
Illustration: Alvaro Dominguez; Source; iStock

On the surface, trees might seem like odd gifts. You can’t wrap them up neatly in wrapping paper. It can take years for saplings to ascend past “twig” status, let alone bear fruit and blossom. And they require commitment, patience, and sometimes downright triage—not the usual kind of physical and emotional labor you want to drop on an unsuspecting giftee.

But staff writer and gifts expert Mari Uyehara says it’s for those very same reasons that a tree can be a really great present for certain types of people: those who don’t want or need more stuff, who revel in gradually revealed rewards, or who are already tending a collection of leafy living things with expansive joy.

Everything you need to know before gifting a tree→

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more ›


For the fruits of all that labor: Our favorite citrus juicer

Four citrus juicers resting amongst various citrus fruits and a couple glasses of juice.
Photo: Marki Williams

Whether you’re squeezing just a few drops of lemon juice for your water or churning out an entire pitcher of OJ, a good citrus juicer should be easy to use, easy to clean (!), and yield lots of juice—with no seeds.

After testing 15 reams, juicers, and squeezers, we landed on a few favorites, including one beloved by chefs and bartenders alike.

Worth the squeeze→


More for gardeners

From left to right: A white alarm clock, three potted plants, and a white candle, on a light yellow-green background.

The ultimate guide to buying plants online

These online vendors deliver healthy, well-packed plants to your doorstep→

A person using a stirrup hoe on a garden.

“This $28 garden tool cut my weeding time in half”

This stirrup hoe offers an easy way to evict unwanted invaders→

Several watering cans in front of several potted plants.

Watering cans we love

Your houseplants deserve to drink from something better than that half-finished glass of water on your desk→

One last thing: 32 gifts for people who have everything

Several of our best gifts for those who have everything arranged on a deep red surface.
Photo: Marki Williams

Everyone deserves a little something sometimes—even if they claim they don’t want or need anything. (And yes, that includes you.) Delight even the toughest-to-shop-for with these charmers, including an old-school film camera, a perfect key ring, or a chic, wide-toothed comb.

For the hard-to-please→

When life gives you lemons …

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