Gift Gardens

You can create a gift garden specifically for plants to be given as gifts.

Succulent gardens make excellent gifts (pxfuel) Public Domain

How many times have you been searching for that just right gift for a friend or co-worker, when a miniature herb garden or succulent garden would have been perfect, but there isn't enough time? This is what gift gardens are all about.

​We gardeners are an idealistic group. We look to the future each time we plant a seed. Similar to nursery beds, gift gardens help you in the future. Your gift garden can be designed in any size or shape you wish. The important part is looking at your calendar ahead of time to determine which plants you will want, when you will want them, and planting accordingly.

Birthday beauties

Who doesn't love flowers on special occasions? Using your calendar, track down all those birthdays and identify the perfect flowering plant for each recipient. Then gather growing information for those plants and count backwards to know when to sow. Even in the midst of winter, or during the scorching days of summer, many of these plants can be started indoors and protected from the elements as they develop into the perfect gift for family and friends, as long as they get enough light.

Germander

Holiday season
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Too many times, we shop for gifts out of habit, often at the last minute. Many of these gifts are mass produced and have little to do with us or the recipients. A gift garden gives you the space and reminder to create holiday gifts by your own hand. These gifts can be herbs, bulbs, canned goods, seeds, or seasonal decorations. The important thing is that these gifts are created by you for them.

Standby gifts

We've all experienced those unexpected moments when a gift would be appropriate, but we are unprepared. It happens. As gardeners, we can maintain a collection of stand-by gift plants, just in case. Miniature herb gardens, flowering bulbs, durable succulents, and perennial edibles can all be welcome gifts that keep on giving. [A potted pineapple, anyone?] A special added touch might be a handmade plant label that includes care directions on the back, for those unschooled in plant husbandry.

Seed selections

Seed packets contain a lot of seeds. We rarely plant them all and, unless they are stored perfectly, they won’t stay viable. Also, after growing plants in a region for a few years, many gardeners end up with a collection of seeds that work best in their microclimate. You can share all those extra seeds with family and friends. Create unique seed packets and gift to your heart’s content!

Homemade preserves (pxfuel) Public Domain

Preserved harvests

Each year, many of us end up with far more citrus, nectarines, plums, and tomatoes than we could ever eat. Most of these items can be converted in delicious marmalades, jams, and sauces. Herbs can be dried. Nothing say love like something made by your own hand. And you can use inexpensive address labels to mark the contents and canning date of your edible gifts.

Be prepared for any gift-giving occasion by planning and installing a gift garden.