Gardening 101: The gift of trees
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Christmas is the time of joy, celebration and gift-giving. This week's story is about gifting a friend or family member a tree for their yard. Think about it. If the plant is successful, your gift could outlive you. Every time your gift recipient sees your tree, they are reminded of your bond. That is a powerful thought.
But consider this as well.
Giving a living plant as a Christmas gift requires some measure of the person receiving your generosity. You are not just giving something beautiful; you have giving something that requires care. Face it, some of use are devoid the ability to care for a plant, you could be sentencing your gift to a certain death if given to the wrong person.
So, if giving a plant for the holiday, make sure to know how to take care of said plant. Impart some wisdom with your green. Since this is the perfect time of the year to plant a tree, make that also a part of the gift. You'll bring the shovels and, if they are not in the know of such things, gift them the knowledge of how to plant a tree as well. That is a gift that can also give across a lifetime.
In the story I show a very showy plant, a Little Gem Magnolia. This is a pricey tree but pricey for a reason. It is an evergreen with beautiful foliage and wonderfully scented flowers. They grow a little slow but put on good show the entire way. Make sure you plant this tree in the right place in the yard. Make sure they know to keep it watered until it gets well established.
If you want to double down on the holiday theme, gift a Christmas Jewel Holly. Hollies do very well in this climate once established. Like a magnolia, they are evergreen and will grow to some size (over 10ft). They look better in rows then standing solo in my opinion, but I lean toward utilitarian solutions to plant use. A hedge line of tall holly makes a great green fence.
If you need to fill a "smaller gift" slot, a houseplant is also a good green give. Keep in mind the same reservations I sounded in paragraph three. Make sure to not only give the plant but include written instructions on its care with your card.
Green gifts will give and give. A kindness that grows. Next week I'll have a story on some other good gift ideas, but ones more centered on known gardeners in your family.