Instead of Sending Flowers, Send Live Plants
Posted: Tuesday, November 13, 2007
by Thomas Andrews
Park Seed Company
If you are planning on sending someone a flower arrangement, why not send instead a live plant that can be enjoyed indefinitely? Cut-flower arrangements are beautiful, but very temporary--send a potted plant, and your generosity will last a lifetime. You can send true houseplants or plants to be transplanted to a garden. Have the plant sent directly from the manufacturer, and your gift will come professionally packaged with a personalized gift message from you.
This idea is tailor-made for the holidays, because many companies are currently shipping amaryllis bulbs that, if ordered now, will bloom indoors just in time to make the perfect holiday centerpiece. Along with Amaryllis, you can find many other houseplants, garden plants for transplant, miniature Christmas trees, and garden accessories all suitable for gift-giving. Garden tools and accessories, like birdhouses and seed-starting kits, make great gifts for any gardener on your holiday shopping list, but I believe a houseplant is a great gift for anyone, if you pick the right plant. College students, and friends and family members who work in offices are always looking for something to make their drab surroundings a little more cozy.
Live plants as Holiday Decoration
Many of the live plant gifts you order are arranged in a planter for holiday decoration, but can easily be transferred to the garden in the spring. Potted hydrangeas, flower bulbs like crocus and tulips, and table-top Christmas Trees are all excellent gifts for the holidays, giving your recipients unique special occasion decorations. And when the temperature rises a little, these plants make a wonderful addition to any garden.
Plants for the Garden
You don't have to send potted plants or houseplants that ship right now. If you know someone who is an avid gardener, you can also order live plants to be sent to their home later, when their planting season arrives. Many catalog and online gardening companies allow you to send gifts like this, and they also send a message to the recipient for the holidays to let them know that their gift will arrive when the time is right for planting.
Not Sure? Try A Gift Certificate
If you are not a gardener, but would like to buy a gardening gift for someone in your life who's thumb is a little greener than your own, a gift certificate is the ideal solution. Any catalog or online store, not just plant nurseries, will have gift cards available. Often these cards will be sent to your recipients in ornate packaging with a complete catalog, so they can pick out exactly what they want. Gardeners often have a clear vision of their intended garden design and a list of plants they are going to order when they get the time or money, so a gift certificate might be the best gift for gardeners.
Thomas Andrews is a garden writer for Wayside Gardens.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Great Writing!
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