Looking for some inspiration for gift giving this holiday season? Why not go for gardening gifts? More and more people are taking up the hobby of gardening, particularly where circumstances make working from home a necessity or a desire. Here are ten ideas for plants that make great gifts for the gardening enthusiasts in your life.
1. For the Houseplant Enthusiast – Poinsettia.
What could be better than to start with a poinsettia? An integral part of seasonal floral displays, the poinsettia’s vibrant showy red and green foliage is seen everywhere over the festive season. Local nurseries will undoubtedly have poinsettias available to purchase at this time of the year. Buy a pot with complementary or contrasting colors to the poinsettia for a design effect. Place the poinsettia in the container, wrap a big gold or red ribbon around the pot, and you’re all done. As poinsettias bloom in winter and live happily indoors, they are a great holiday gift choice for houseplant enthusiasts.
2. Namesake Plants
Using namesake plants is a cunning way to personalize holiday gardening gifts for friends or family members. There are numerous plant varieties named after people that you could select. For example, if you have a friend named Mary, why not buy her the rose labeled as ‘Mary Rose.’ For a pal named John, how about the viola ‘Johnny Jump-up.’
To find these plants use online search terms like “plants named after people called Mary.” You can even search for plants associated with surnames. For example, try search terms using “plant genus named after Smith.” You can have a lot of fun searching out the most memorable name and plant combinations, and the giftee will be chuffed with their namesake plant.
3. Consider Anniversary Plants
Another twist on plants that make great gifts is to choose the item based on anniversary dates. Did you know that specific plants and flowers are associated with each wedding anniversary year? So, for example, a fifth anniversary is represented by daisies while asters signify the 20th anniversary. Make your selection based on a recently passed anniversary or one happening in a few months. With a handwritten note to explain your gifted plant, the recipients will love your approach.
4. Gardening Gifts for Kids
Don’t forget the kids. There are fun ways to introduce them to plants and gardening as a hobby. Consider cute grass hair kits, where funny little pots with faces have grass growing like the hair on top. The child gets to cut the hair regularly and water and care for the grass. Or perhaps you could get them a sunflower growing kit, where they get to experience the wonder of growing their own big colorful flowers. Explore online for ideas.
5. Plants That Make Great Gifts for Lazy Gardener’s
For the lazy gardener, give them the gift of stones. Lithops are small succulents nicknamed ‘living stones’ as they resemble grey or brown pebbles. Originating from scorching and dry climate areas, they require little care as indoor plants. Purchase a nice pot, some sandy potting mix, and a few lithops. Plant them up and present your gift. The laid-back gardener will welcome the low-maintenance plants.
6. For Lovers of Indoor Tropical Plants
Here’s one for gardeners who love the look of tropical plants and desire some luck in their lives — the Money Tree. This intriguing plant originates from South America and has a reputation for bringing good luck and wealth into the home. Pop in a couple of lottery tickets with the plant to see if you can kick-start the luck and wealth process, though do so with your tongue in cheek. Even if the lottery tickets don’t pan out, your gardeners will appreciate the unusual braided trunk and attractive glossy leaves of the money tree.
7. For Lovers of Colorful Blooms
With their big, bold, colorful blooms, hydrangeas make wonderful holiday gardening gifts for plant enthusiasts. Hydrangeas are great plants for shrubberies, and there are new dwarf varieties for small garden plots. Beautiful shades of blues, pinks, and whites dominate, and these plants can flower for several months. The Bigleaf hydrangeas, with their large pom-pom flowers, are as popular as ever and have the magical quality of being able to change color. For a bit of fun, add pinking and bluing kits along with the hydrangea. That way, your plant lovers can have a go at changing the color of the hydrangea from pink to blue and vice versa.
8. Plants for Quirky People
For a gardener with a prickly personality but a heart of gold, what about a plant that’s a little different? The globe thistle (Echinops) has spiky leaves and spherical flower heads. Flowers come in shades of purple, blue, and white. It’s an attractive perennial that grows to five feet and sits nicely in the back of garden borders. Gardeners appreciate their low maintenance qualities, drought, and cold tolerance.
9. Holiday Gardening Gifts for Perfume Lovers
Scented gardens are a delight for sensual plant lovers. While there are many sweet-smelling plant varieties, the following shortlist will get you moving in the right direction. Choose from perfumed rose varieties, jasmine or honeysuckle climbing vines, daphne, gardenia, frangipani, or mandevilla. Buy the plant in bloom if possible so that the receiver can appreciate the full fragrance of your gift.
10. The Donation Tree
Tree donations are long-lived gifts with a difference. If families are grieving for a lost loved one, trees can be planted in their memory. It’s a sensitive way to keep memories alive while beautifying national parks. Trees can also be planted to honor achievements or special occasions, such as golden jubilee anniversaries or joyful births. Tree dedication gifts can also be appreciated by gardenless plant lovers, who have a love of charity and contribution. Your national parks will thank you, and visits to the parks will have an extra dimension of enjoyment knowing you have helped reforestation.
Need Some Advice on Looking After Your Gift Plants?
At Garden and Bloom, you’ll find plant growing advice. See our Tutorials & How-to Guides for an ever-growing list of plants.
Happy gift hunting!
