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Gifts That Keep on Giving By Janice F. Booth
Like every other event and occasion over the last nine months, the holidays will look and feel quite different this year for most of us. With that in mind, I have been thinking of ways we can apply our love of nature and gardens to the joyful task of devising gifts for neighbors, friends, and family. I’m proposing, dear reader, that the most appreciated gifts this Holiday season may very well be the gifts that “keep on giving,” the gifts that are alive. No, I’m not talking CHIA PETS here, though they can be lots of fun, too. I’m not proposing you pass out puppies or parakeets to friends and family. Rather, I’m thinking of plants and 154
seeds that will engage their new owners and provide days, weeks, months, and, if they’re lucky, even years of pleasure. So, what are some of the issues you’ll need to consider before preparing your flora gift list? First, think about delivery:
• Will you present the gift in person, leave it on the doorstep? or, • Will you be sending the gift by mail? Second, what do you know about the person receiving the plant?
• Health issues: Does the person have allergies? Breathing problems?
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• Time issues: Does she/he have lots of time to fuss with a plant? Is his/her schedule always packed? Does she/he need only carefree plants? • Household issues: Does she/he have lots of space to give over to plants? Are there lots of windows and sunlight available? Are there small children who might be curious and interested in a plant? Are there pets that might be tempted to taste or play with a plant? Third, what is the depth of the recipient’s knowledge of and interest in plants?
• Does he/she have plants already? • Is she/he a gardener, experienced with plants?
• Will he/she enjoy acquainting him/herself with a new type of plant and its particular requirements? The idea, of course, is for the gift to be fun for the recipient. Once you’ve reviewed your list of those for whom a plant will be appropriate, you’ll be ready to move ahead with the fun part—selecting plants or future-plants for your family and friends. For our purposes, let’s consider two categories of plant gifts:
• Future-plants, namely seeds/sprouters and bulbs, appropriate for mailing. • Living plants of various types, appropriate for personal delivery.
