Beware of plants bearing fruits. Shouldn’t that be ‘beware of Greeks bearing gifts?’ Don’t know why Greeks are so dangerous but why beware of a plant bearing fruit? Because when someone sends you something this beautiful and delicious, you could become addicted – which is dangerous! Think big fat green ovoid feijoas, golden aromatic lemons, and shiny green and black and beautiful olives. You could send or receive any of these on any occasion when you visit us at Give Plants.

Some friends of ours recently had a baby girl and instead of the usual bunch of flowers they received a Port Wine magnolia tree. This hardy evergreen shrub is now planted on their back lawn and is named after their daughter, a permanent reminder, not only of the cool people who gifted it to her but also of their daughter growing more beautiful every day.

What a fabulous concept! A gift of a living plant – truly the gift that keeps on giving. The very old-fashioned concept of sending a bunch of flowers is just that – very old-fashioned.

Who wants a gift that is going to die in a couple of days when you can be the recipient of a beautiful plant or tree, one even bearing fruit! This is the gift you will have forever, a gift that will survive, not die.

And think of the environmental benefits! An evergreen tree with glossy leaves, laden with sunny lemons, sitting in a pot on the deck as opposed to flowers wilting in the vase. No contest in our book. Plants and trees are the new, eco-friendly way to go. So, next time you are wracking your brain for a practical, beauteous environmentally friendly gift, think Give Plants and pass the addiction on!