Christmas Presents for Awkward Parents?

A question about : Christmas Presents for Awkward Parents?

I'm really struggling to think of a present for my parents. Usually my dad gets things like chocolate, sweets & beer and my mum gets things like chocolate, flowers & jewellery but I'm so fed up of buying them generic presents and I'd quite like to get them a joint present but they're so hard to buy for!

They're in their mid 60s, both retired. My dad's not really into cars or sports, and tries to watch what he eats regarding treats. My mum is allergic to a lot of makeup, perfume, bath bits etc. which rules out a lot of usual mum presents. They basically have everything they want because they just buy it. Neither of them are really into drinking, both are fussy eaters so wouldn't appreciate a meal at a nice restaurant or anything like that. They like gardening. They once received an annual membership for the National Trust and they loved that, so I was thinking maybe something similar but I can't think of anything and I don't want to copy that idea.

If anyone has any suggestions at all then that would be great, I'm at a complete loss!

Best answers:

• If they like gardening how about RHS membership
• Magazine subscriptions?
• RHS membership or tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show?
• Days out vouchers? My parents are in their 60s and sound very similar to yours! They spend their days going to places (like National Trust), eating out and having coffee. Luckily mine don't mind restaurant vouchers or coffee shop gift cards. Last year I got them a Cineworld box gift of cinema and snack vouchers.
• RHS membership - or, if they might like to branch out a bit - English Heritage/Cadw/Historic Scotland membership (depending where they live).
• Garden centre gift vouchers and a pot of indoor christmas hyacinths or poinsettia to go along with it?
• for a couple of different memberships how about.
  Artfund
  Historic Houses association.
  Both a bit different from the usual memberships, even better if you add in RHS, English Heritage and National Trust you could rotate the memberships each year so they get a whole new list of things to visit for free every year and it will keep them going for 5 years of presents.
• Depending on where you live you could look at getting tickets to the BBC good food & Garden show at Birmingham NEC next summer.
  Bit far off but it's a good day out with plenty to see and eat and buy?
• Not sure the budget how about a voucher for a hotel?
• How about a tablet?
• How about something for their garden such as a bird table or an ornamental clock (if they don't have them already of course)
• I'd agree with RHS (sorry to be boring, I know it's been suggested a lot already). If there's an RHS place near you, one membership means they could both get in - member plus guest, as often as they liked in the year. Rosemoor, neat Torrington is our closest, and it's lovely as a place to drop in to. That single membership would then get free entry to a lot of associated 'partner' gardens locally- so the nominated member could have a lot of local trips for free throughout the year; if the OH wanted go with them, there'd just be one entrance fee to pay. Membership also gets a free good quality magazine throughout the year, there's a good advice website and reduced price on offers for exhibitions throughout the year. If there isn't really a 'nearest' RHS place, then, ironically, perhaps better to explore joint membership, as entry to all the partner gardens in your area would be free for both of them and a nice way to spend odd half days throughout the year. Either way, it might be nice as a 'project' for them both this year, to visit all four of the RHS locations. A very nice present for around Ј40-60.
  https://www.rhs.org.uk/join
• Just had another thought - if you have any Tesco vouchers, Ј5 gets you Ј15-worth of spend at Thompson and Morgan, up to a value of Ј45 via boost at the moment. We've just ordered all the seeds we'll need for our veg plot and my friends allotment next year for the grand outlay of Ј15 of Tesco coupons & another Ј11 cash, giving us around Ј60 worth of seeds and free delivery. Once they're in and growing, that will feed two families (and associated hangers on!) in veg for the whole of next year from March onwards
  https://www.tesco.com/clubcard/deals/product.aspx?R=2280
• I'd totally choose something for home... Like some accessories .. you know what their apartment looks like, so it shouldn't be a problem Or maybe classically - some christmas products, they're alway nice! I can recommend 24studio, got some shopping there myself and you can get real deal , up to 70% with vouchers. And you don't have to go out and make a queue in shopping centres
• Thanks for all the suggestions.
  About the RHS membership, I think it'd be good but they're not near any of the 4 RHS sites and my dad doesn't like travelling far for a day out. I also find it strange that with a joint membership, one of them would still have to pay to get into the partner sites.
  They wouldn't read magazines so I don't want to get them a magazine subscription.
  I may look more into "days out" vouchers or maybe theatre vouchers.
  I looked at English Heritage memberships but it seemed like a lot of the places were free to visit anyway so it seemed a bit pointless.
  I don't think they'd really enjoy a hotel voucher either, unfortunately.
  They already have an iPad.
  Despite loving gardening their new house has a small garden and they're fussy about what they put in it so I wouldn't really like to buy them any garden ornaments or seeds etc.
• Take them out for the day or for a meal in the new year.
• I got my dad a chainsaw owl carving for the garden, but he likes it so much, he kept it in the house!!
• nice information