Next weekend brings one of the most celebrated holidays for the entire year. If you’re scrambling to figure out what to give your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day this year, the solutions might be no farther away than your local garden center or florist. Although flowers are the obvious choice, gardening gifts are also becoming a popular way to celebrate this holiday.
No one seems to truly know when the custom of giving flowers and candy became the accepted way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Although legends abound regarding its origin and how the customs arose out of them, one thing is for certain- candy and flowers have become a staple of this holiday. Perhaps the fact that Valentine’s Day falls during the coldest part of the winter in many countries the thought of giving something living and beautiful like flowers has added to the reason why the tradition of gifting something bright and fragrant has become so popular.
Flowers for Valentine’s Day come in all varieties. Cut flowers are probably the most popular, with the favorite among those being roses but other flowers are often given too.
Although cut flowers are the most traditional gift, I’d encourage you to think outside of the box, horticulturally if you want something a little different for your special someone. Houseplants and potted flowers are trendy and popular right now and with so many people staying at home and working from home, a potted plant for your sweetheart’s indoor space is a welcome gift. I personally prefer to get a potted flower or plant because it lasts longer than cut flowers.
Some of the more popular potted flowers include calla lilies, mini carnations, cyclamen, miniature roses, cinerarias, and the queen of all potted flowers, orchids. None of these are particularly difficult to care for and will last a long time on a desk or table in your home. Even orchids, with their reputation for being finicky, make great houseplants and are easily maintained in most home environments. Be sure to ask for some care instructions to pass along with the gift if it’s a plant that you haven’t had before. Add in a colorful pot and you’ve got an instant “plantable bouquet.” Some choices like the miniature roses and carnations can be planted outdoors once the weather warms up so you can continue to enjoy them through the summer months.
Potted plants and flowers aren’t the only great gardening focused Valentine’s gifts though. With the trend for home gardening that started while we were all under lockdown last year, consider a gift basket of seeds, hand tools, or colorful accessories like kneeling pads or gloves. They are the gift that keeps on giving because as we move into spring the giftee will use them to start their garden, then enjoy the bounty of the vegetables or flowers come summer. Interesting and a bit unusual, a gift basket full of gardening goodies might be the perfect fit!
Choose a gardening gift for your Valentine this year and you can’t go wrong. Unless your sweetheart is allergic to flowers, they are, of course, the traditionally perfect choice. One size fits all. They are colorful and beautiful during the coldest of seasons here in the Four Corners. They contain no calories or carbohydrates, they smell wonderful, and can brighten someone’s world for a long time. Spring really is right around the corner, but in the meantime Happy Valentine’s Day!
