Some of the hardest people to buy for are gardeners. You may think you’re doing them a favor by buying them indoor pot plants or plants that fruit, but without knowing their preference or what tends to be the more popular plants, you can end up gifting them with something they’ll put on their compost heap instead!
Then, if you gift them gardening gloves, plants for pots they don’t have, or living flowers that don’t fit in with anything else, you’ve wasted your money. Gardeners can be quite particular about what they like and dislike, meaning you begin steering toward something impersonal like a gardening voucher. Before you get to that point, you may wish to look at these gift options below. Some of these plant options could tick all the boxes for an avid gardener looking to expand their patch.
Fruit Trees
Fruit trees make a wonderful gift for gardeners, but not all plants that fruit are considered desirable by those who know plants the best. If you are going to buy fruit trees, make sure you do your research. Citrus fruit trees, for example, could be the most affordable – but might not suit your climate.
Before you go shopping, you may like to look at a plant hardiness zone graph. Such a diagram can let you know which plants for pots and even plants that fruit suit which climes. Then, consider the weather you tend to get in your area. Will a fruit tree survive and thrive? The last thing you want to do is give someone a gift that dies.
When you have your heart set on fruit trees, there’s a right and wrong option to purchase at your local garden store. Look for sturdy trunks that range from half an inch, and select a tree that has a straight trunk too. Then, avoid fruit trees with low branches and opt for healthy roots. Plants that fruit can be quite temperamental, so choose the most robust option to give it a fighting chance of survival in its new home.
Succulents
If you’re not a gardener, but you’re looking to purchase a house warming gift or birthday gift for someone who is, then succulents could be your safest and best option. These indoor pot plants take a lot to kill, so even if it’s not something your gardening friend would buy for themselves, they could potentially be something that piques their interest and doesn’t require a lot of their effort.
You could also consider succulents as living flowers due to how pretty and lively they are. You can buy them as standard green plants, but you can even get a variety of colors reminiscent of flowers. They also make excellent indoor pot plants as they don’t take up a lot of space – nor do they need a lot of love. Succulents thrive on neglect.
What you – and the recipient – will also enjoy is how succulents enable you to flex your creative muscles. You can decorate pots then buy these as plants for those pots to enhance how much effort you put into the overall gift.
Aloe Vera
While you could class Aloe Vera as a succulent, it deserves its own category for many reasons. Aloe vera makes the perfect birthday gift, house warming present, or even as a “cheer me up” gift for someone who’s ill or going through a hard time. It’s a healing plant.
Several studies suggest that aloe vera can help with a range of medical conditions. While research is in its early stages, there’s no harm in buying one for yourself and a loved one to see if you can reap the rewards. There is, however, substantial evidence to suggest that Aloe Vera is beneficial for inflammation, infection, skin conditions, rashes, allergies, and more.
You can break a leaf, dab the oozing liquid onto your skin, then notice immediate relief. It’s also helpful for alleviating the side effects of burns and sunburn. Aloe vera are indoor pot plants that take up minimal space but have a maximum impact on your health.
Snake Plants
The Snake Plant, also known as the Elephant’s toothpick, is a beautiful, unique, and beneficial plant that makes an excellent house warming or birthday gift. It’s also a medium boxed plant, meaning it takes up more space than a succulent, but less than the likes of a Yukka.
Snake plants are beneficial for many reasons, not only their striking appearance. Their primary benefit is that they clean the air far more effectively than most other indoor pot plants. They can absorb carbon monoxide and even filter toxins out of the air such as benzene, formaldehyde, and more.
If you are thinking about buying snake plants as a gift instead of a citrus fruit tree or even living flowers, then go ahead with the purchase. You will be surprised at how well-received this plant would be for a home or office environment.
Herbs
While you could give someone living flowers, or a bouquet as a gift, why not give something that serves a purpose and contributes to the recipient’s life? A citrus fruit tree or plants that fruit are two excellent options, but herbs are another. You can add color and vibrancy to their kitchen while also enhancing their cooking at the same time.
Herbs are some of the best gifts for gardeners you can offer. They are effortless to grow, cost very little money to buy, and you can get creative with the pots in which you put them too. What’s more, the aroma of some of the herbs is stunning – offering a lift in an area that may have required it. The recipient can also get unlimited use, for once you take a cutting from herbs, it will continue to grow back while requiring very little maintenance.
Conclusion
Hunting for the best plant gifts for gardeners is no straightforward task. You have to offer them something they don’t have, a plant that requires minimal care, and something that will benefit their life – even in one small way. Let any of these five options above tick all the boxes for your needs.
Author’s Bio
My name is Theresa Le Roux, I am originally from Montreal, Canada but I have spent the last 5 years in beautiful New Zealand. I write SEO/Digital marketing/SMM articles for businesses that want a different perspective on subjects that are important to their content output. This can also help grow rankings in the process so it’s a win-win! I regularly contribute articles about the always changing world of SEO to Clickthrough.co.nz. I am a diehard Game of Thrones fan with a passion for novels and live music! My career goal is to one day write a novel of my own. Connect me via email theresa@clickthrough.co.nz.
