There’s nothing quite like a garden harvest. Who doesn’t love the feeling of wandering out into the morning garden to check in on each plant and harvest the day’s produce. When I was a little girl, I spent hours searching my home for a basket that was “pretty enough” to harvest vegetables from my small backyard garden. Even if I were just harvesting a few beans and tomatoes, the feeling of collecting fresh vegetables in a beautiful garden basket was worth it. If you are anything like me, then you are searching for a harvest basket, trug, or garden hod that is both functional and fun. You could use any old grocery bag or mixing bowl to collect vegetables from the garden and eggs from the coop, but a harvest basket is something special. It’s something that you can leave on your countertop as décor or a classic backdrop in a daily harvest photo.
A good harvest basket is also functional---after all, you really do need a good container to harvest fruits and veggies from the garden! Gardeners aren’t the only ones who can make good use out of a harvest basket. These baskets can also double as market baskets, grocery totes, and picnic baskets.
If you are itching to buy your dream harvest basket or are simply looking for some basket inspiration, then you’ve come to the right place. As a tribute to harvest season, I’ve put together this list of some of the most beautiful, functional, and classical harvest baskets on the internet. This collection of daydream-worthy harvest baskets is bound to have something for every gardener.
10 Beautiful Harvest Baskets, Trugs, & Hods
Maine Garden Hod
Traditional East Coast Harvest Basket
Make your garden harvest picture-worthy with this stunning East-Coast inspired harvest basket. This large basket is destined to become a family antique as it is made in the USA with quality material designed to stand the test of time. It features a mix of pine, birch, and oak woods as well as a steel mesh that's been coated in a food-grade vinyl. This garden hod can fit an abundant days harvest of leafy greens, fruits, large melons, and vegetables. The only downside--this basket is a little on the heavy side (weighing 3.5lbs).which can make it difficult to transport a huge harvest from the garden to your kitchen.
Nantucket Double Handle Harvest Basket
Classic Wicker Harvest Basket
Harvest baskets don't get much more classic than this Nantucket gardening basket which also doubles as a picnic or farmer's market basket. A beautiful wicker and wood piece that is both functional and decorative with its sturdy wood handles and basket bottom. Great for photographic harvests of brightly colored vegetables and big leafy greens. While the basket is well made, it's not strong enough for heavier harvests of melons and large fruit.
Handmade Harvest Basket
Handmade & Hand-Dyed
This handmade and hand-dyed harvest basket is stylish enough to double as market tote, beach bag, or picnic basket. These sturdy rope baskets come in four neutral colors (beige, goldenrod yellow, slate gray, and madder root pink) and are made from 100% cotton cord. Great for grocery stores, farmer's markets, and large garden harvests of leafy greens, root vegetables, and fruit. Not ideal for messy harvests because the basket isn't easy to clean (and too pretty to get dirty!).
Modern Garden Hod
Multipurpose Harvest Basket
A modern take on the traditional harvest basket. The Mod Hod comes in two sizes and three colors. The small basket is perfect for those with suburban gardens, while the large hod is best for bigger kitchen garden harvests and farmer's markets hauls. The large Mod Hod is also a better choice for harvesting long leafy greens and flowers. In addition to being adorable, these French-made baskets are also quite functional. They are stackable, made of high-quality polypropylene, and super easy to clean. Each basket comes with retractable legs which keeps your harvest elevated off of the ground and away from dirt.
Classic Wicker Harvest Basket
Handmade Wicker Wood Basket
Harvest baskets don't get much more traditional than this. This classic farmhouse wicker harvest basket is perfect for lightweight harvests of greens, flowers, and small vegetables. It's got a nice deep bucket bottom for loose harvests (like onions and tomatoes) while also having wide sides to accommodate large leafy greens. This handmade basket could easily be used as a picnic basket, decor, or farmer's market shopping tote.
Wicker Gathering Basket
Handwoven Indonesian Basket
The classic wicker harvest basket to complement a beautiful salad garden. Fill this moderately sized basket with today's harvest of tomatoes, greens, peppers, herbs, and eggs. Wicker is a fantastic material for harvest baskets because it is sturdy, has good drainage, and is gentle on delicate harvests like eggs and tomato skins. This gathering basket also doubles as a decorative countertop bowl for fresh produce.
Colander Garden Trug
Vegetable Garden Trug
This garden trug may not be the most beautiful baskets, but it certainly is one of the most functional. This trug features a perforated bottom which makes it easy to rinse off and dry your harvest. It's large enough to handle big harvests of long vegetables like leeks, carrots, and squash with ease. Simply collect your bounty, hose off your harvest, and carry your trug inside. Can also be used around the garden for a variety of tasks from weeding to rock collecting. Truly a dream basket for the practical gardener.
Fabric Market & Garden Basket
Foldable Fabric Basket
A super practical harvest and market basket that's packed with design features. Some functional features include its aluminum frame, soft rubber handle, lightweight polyester fabric that's easy to clean, and the ability to fold down into a travel-sized pouch. A cool and practical market basket to store in the car for grocery trips and impromptu farmer's markets.
Metal Mesh Harvest Basket
Metal Mesh & Bamboo Basket
Not a fan of the traditional harvest basket style? Then match your modern garden aesthetic with this metal mesh multi-purpose basket. It's functional, minimalist, and well-designed--perfect for urban gardens or a modern rustic kitchen garden.
Harvest Basket Shopping Guide
Best Harvest Basket Material
Before you race off to purchase your dream harvest basket, take a moment to consider whether that pretty little basket will be functional for you. What will you be using your harvest basket for? Will your basket be exposed to water? Will you be harvesting small leaves and flowers or large fruits and vegetables? Will your harvests be heavy or light? Aesthetically, you may want a wicker basket; however, practically, you need an easy-to-clean basket that can be rinsed out after each harvest (wicker is not). Let's take a look at the most common harvest basket materials and discuss their pros and cons.
Wire or Metal Harvest Baskets:
Metal, wire, and mesh harvest baskets are highly functional, but not designed for certain kinds of harvests.
Pros: sturdy material, easy to clean, long-lasting, multi-purpose use, can harvest heavy vegetables.
Cons: heavier material, metal mesh is not good for small or delicate harvests (such as berries, tomatoes, etc),Wicker Harvest Baskets:
Wicker is your classic harvest basket material. Wicker can deteriorate due to wetness, so it's best used for dry harvests of floral and leafy greens.
Pros: pretty, softer on delicate harvests, can hold heavy vegetables
Cons: hard to clean, can grow mold if not treated, can not get wetSolid Wood Harvest Basket:
Solid wood is a great material for harvest baskets. Look for baskets made with untreated hardwoods like cedarwood to avoid chemical sealants.
Pros: untreated hardwoods can handle wetness, no holes is better for herb & berry harvests, easy to clean, decorative
Cons: solid wood is heavy, should not be soaking wet, must be large to handle leafy greensPlastic Harvest Baskets:
There are many kinds of plastic ranging from thin cheap plastic to thick long-lasting plastics. Look for heavier duty plastics (like polypropylene) when shopping for a harvest basket.
Pros: easy to clean, long-lasting, can handle heavy water, strong, inexpensive material
Cons: not as aesthetically pleasingFabric Harvest Baskets:
Fabric baskets are great multiuse bags that can be used in and out of the garden. Fabric is the ideal material for harvest baskets designed for light duty use.
Pros: fabric allows for intricate shapes, sizes, and colors, can be folded for storage, flexible storage, gentle on delicate harvests (like eggs, tomatoes, etc)
Cons: hard to clean, not waterproof
Best Places to Shop for Harvest Baskets
Shop Wayfair's collection of over 300 harvest baskets.
Shop Amazon's collection of thousands of harvest baskets.
Shop handmade harvest baskets on Etsy.
Shop Gardener's collection of unique harvest baskets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Harvest Baskets
What is a Trug Basket?
A trug, also known as a Sussex trug, is a wooden basket designed for carrying garden vegetables. Trugs were used as late as the 1500s and are available in a variety of sizes. The classic trug is an oval-shaped basket made from overlapped thin wood boards and sits on two small legs positioned at the front and back of the basket. It has a circular wooden handle which wraps all the way around the basket.
What to do Wth a Trug?
What is a Garden Hod?
