Do you spell “tomato” t-o-o-m-a-n-y? Have you run out of creative ways to use a zucchini? Many of us love to share the late summer bounty of our garden with others. From salsa to spaghetti sauce, zucchini bread to casseroles, garden gifts are a pleasure to make and a joy to receive—and eat!

Sometimes the hardest part is finding containers and creative label ideas. Canned fruits, vegetables, sauces and jams obviously have to be put up in jars, but there are lots of decorative jars to choose from these days if you want to go beyond the basic Ball variety. Breads and other baked goods can be packaged in tin containers, decorated shoe boxes, plastic food storage containers or just wrapped in cellophane. Line boxes and tins with wax paper or foil. And be sure to cool completely before packaging.

When everything is inside, we like to decorate our containers and jars with cloth ribbon or cover. Personalized gift tag stickers make great label ideas, or we tuck a little notelette in with our gift. Either way, our neighbors know who to thank for the goodness!