No matter the season, there’s always something to do in the garden, from weeding and sowing seeds, to deadheading flowers and harvesting fruit, veg and herbs.
With this in mind, if there’s a piece of garden equipment that will come in handy, it’s the garden trug.
These baskets are practical, versatile and depending on the style you choose, can look great. The best garden trugs fulfil myriad functions – use them for gathering garden debris, transporting or storing heavy tools, carrying fruit and veg, or even collecting eggs.
Whether you opt for a traditional Sussex trug in sweet chestnut and willow, a handwoven wicker basket, or a brightly coloured plastic bucket, they’re an essential piece of kit for any gardener.
Trugs can also be extremely decorative, adding a rustic vibe to country kitchens, whether full of fruit, vegetables or flowers; they also make a distinctive gift for the gardeners in your life - especially when personalised - and are available at a variety of price points, from budget to luxury, to suit all wallets.
Whatever your taste – traditional style, contemporary colours, hand-painted or hessian-lined, we’ve something to suit you in our round-up of the best garden trugs available to buy right now.
Best garden trugs at a glance
- Best trug overall: Plantabox Personalised Wooden Garden Trug - £42.95, Plantabox
- Best for enjoying the fruits of your labour: Burgon & Ball Large Traditional Garden Trug - £36.99, John Lewis
- Best wooden trug: Wrenbury Large Wooden Trug - £32.99, Amazon
- Best value trug: Wilko green plastic garden trug - £6, Wilko
- Best trug for flowers: A Place For Everything Wooden Flower Trug - £24, A Place For Everything
- Best wearable trug: Burgon & Ball Hip Trug - £9.70, Amazon
- Best trug for produce: Nutley’s Kitchen Gardens Willow Vegetable Trug - £19.95, Amazon
- Best for garden tools: Willow Direct Antique Wash Garden Tool Trug - £49.95, Amazon
- Best children’s trug: The Truggery Sussex No 2 Oval Trug - £48, The Truggery
- Best wicker trug: The Basket Company Antique Wash Lined Wicker Trug - from £22, The Basket Company
- Best coloured trug: Rainbow Trugs 25L trug in purple velvet - £9.49, Rainbow Trugs
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Plantabox Personalised Wooden Garden Trug
Best: overall
This wooden garden trug has a boat-shaped base in the traditional way, but is simultaneously brought up to date by its hand-painted finish. There are 14 colours on offer - not just the usual ‘woody’ suspects such as pine or oak - but dopamine-lifting shades such as pink, buttercup, beach blue and lots more.
It can be personalised too, a great idea if you’re planning to give as a gift. Add the name or message of your choice (up to 18 characters including spaces) and choose from three fonts, both script and printed.
Made from sustainable wood, the Plantabox trug is pretty and practical at the same time, as well as making a brilliant present for green-fingered friends and family.
Measures 45 x 30 x 8cm.
Buy now £42.95, Plantabox
Burgon & Ball Large Traditional Garden Trug, 58.5cm, Natural
Best for: enjoying the fruits of your labour
With food prices as they are, there’s no wonder that growing-your-own is enjoying such a spike in popularity. Whether you’ve planted easy-growing tomatoes, strawberries and potatoes, or you’re finally seeing trickier fruit and veg come into fruition in your patch, gather your reward in Burgon & Ball’s oh-so chic garden trug.
The large, boat-shaped design has plenty of space to hold all your treasures, so you’re not having to run back and forth from the house. It’s also nice enough to sit on the dinner table and act as a bountiful centrepiece when filled with fruits and flowers.
Buy now £36.99, John Lewis
Wrenbury Large Wooden Trug Amazon
Best for: wooden trug
This large, sturdy wooden trug is great for carrying produce or flowers when first picked from your garden.
It’s finished in an oak effect and has a real rustic charm to it. The simple design would look just as lovely sitting in your kitchen as a fruit bowl or as the base for a floral display.
The large version measures 38 x 30 x 26cm, but it’s also available in small (27 x 20 x 14cm) and medium (33 x 25 x 20cm).
Buy now £32.99, Amazon
Wilko green plastic garden trug
Best for: value
You can’t go wrong with this budget garden trug from Wilko. Use it to collect fruit or flowers, or use it to carry your garden tools from shed to vegetable plot. It’s plastic so it’s not going to suffer in bad weather, or rot if it gets wet and it’s easy to clean – simply run it under the tap and wipe down.
The trug has a capacity of 10kg and the carry handles fold down when not in use.
Measures 38 x 23.5 x 13.5cm. At this price, it’s a true bargain.
Buy now £6.00, Wilko
A Place For Everything Wooden Flower Trug
Best for: flowers
A traditional design basket that’s ideal for carrying flowers. The slatted base allows any loose leaves or petals to fall through, as well as looking incredibly pretty, while the two handles are practical and complement the rustic look.
This boat-shaped basket will be just as at home on a dresser displaying blooms as it is carrying them. The etched ‘flower trug’ on one side adds a quirky design touch.
Measures 52.8 x 28.1 x 12.2cm.
Buy now £24.00, A Place For Everything
Burgon & Ball Hip Trug
Best for: wearing
This nifty little number clips on to your belt or the waistband of your jeans to leave your hands free for essential garden tasks such as deadheading flowers, pulling weeds or picking berries. Simply add contents to the trug and when full then remove it from its neoprene holder to empty. An inspired idea that keen gardeners will adore.
It’s one of the cheapest products in our roundup so there’s no reason why you can’t buy two – one for each hip. It has a capacity of 1.5L.
Buy now £9.70, Amazon
Nutley’s Kitchen Gardens Willow Vegetable Trug
Best for: produce
This woven willow basket is big enough to hold a variety of freshly-picked vegetables from your garden, ready for taking back to the kitchen and transforming into a wonderful lunch.
It reminds us of the old-fashioned baskets used in 70s home economics classes, containing ingredients for whatever we were cooking that week. The nostalgic charm is enhanced further by the fact the trug is handmade from a single willow branch. It nails cottagecore to a tee.
Measures 47 x 31 x 34cm.
Buy now £19.95, Amazon
Willow Direct Antique Wash Garden Tool Trug
Best for: garden tools
Keep your dibber close to hand with this ingenious tool trug that has space for your trowel, fork, twine and plant markers – and they’re all included in the price.
The built-up side of the basket forms the backdrop for the tools, which are held in place by an elasticated strap, while the lower side of the basket allows you to easily access them. It looks like there’s enough space for seeds in the bottom of the basket too, so everything you need is together in one place. No more wondering where you’ve left your garden essentials!
Measures 43 x 36 x 23cm.
Buy now £49.95, Amazon
The Truggery Sussex No 2 Oval Trug
Best for: children
The Truggery has been crafting traditional Sussex trugs in Herstmonceux, East Sussex since 1899 and this cute basket is an ideal size for little ones to help grown-ups in the garden. They’ll get into the spirit with their very own basket, picking flowers and helping the adults harvest fruit and veg.
Made from sweet chestnut wood and willow, these baskets are strong and made to last. You can even clean them in hot soapy water and leave them to air dry without affecting their performance.
Measures 30 x 18cm.
Buy now £48.00, The Truggery
The Basket Company Antique Wash Lined Wicker Trug
Best for: wicker
We can just see Miss Marple carefully placing cut flowers into one of these when suddenly somebody rushes into the garden to tell her there’s been a murder at the vicarage.
The look is of a time gone by, with handwoven antique wash willow, a lining of hessian and a double handle which is bound at the top for a comfortable grip.
When you’re not using the trug to carry blooms, why not use it to display them indoors.
Available in small (44 x 24 x 10cm), medium (50 x 30 x 12cm) and large (56 x 36 x 14cm).
Buy now £22.00, The Basket Company
Rainbow Trugs
Best for: colour
These baskets are flexible, but made from phthalate-free plastic so they’re suitable for carrying fruit and vegetables. They’re inexpensive and they’re certainly a colourful take on trugs, being both fun and practical.
They’re available in a range of sizes and the 25L purple velvet version shown measures 50 x 45 x 15cm. with a total of 14 colours to choose from, you’re sure to find something to suit your needs and colour scheme.
Buy now £9.49, Rainbow Trugs
Verdict
The Plantabox Personalised Wooden Garden Trug comes up roses, not only because you can personalise it with a name or a fun phrase, but also because you can also get it in their favourite colour. It’s a thoughtful and individual gift for your favourite gardener.
