With Christmas creeping in earlier and earlier in the year, it can be easy to lose time between Halloween and Christmas. Thanksgiving flies by, and suddenly Christmas is only a FEW WEEKS AWAY! From planning presents and buying supplies, to coordinating holiday events, this can be a stressful time of year for shoppers. If you just can’t figure out what to get for the plant-lovers in your life, we’ve got you covered.
Garden-Grown Gifts
The easiest gifts to put together are usually the ones made from materials you have available. Rather than regifting your holiday candles from last year, or wrapping up that weird knick-knack on your shelf and passing it off as a personal gift, let your garden provide presents for you! Sauces, jams, and jellies may be overfilling your pantry after a long and exhausting canning season, and make the perfect holiday presents.
If you save the herbs from your garden and have a stock of live garden plants in your kitchen, you can turn your indoor garden into the perfect holiday presents! Herbs like rosemary, basil, sage, thyme, mint, oregano, and many more are incredibly easy to propagate. You’ll want to find an area on the plant of relatively young growth, and take a cutting that is approximately 3-5 inches long. Find a spot approximately ¼ inch below a leaf node, or where a leaf is attached to the stem. Using a sharp knife (so you don’t crush the plant stem) cut the stem at a 45 degree angle. Remove the lower leaves, giving you approximately 1-2 inches of bare stem for propagating. For best results, we recommend dipping the ends of your plants in rooting powder, but this is not required. From here, you can propagate these cuttings in well hydrated soil. We recommend using our Seed Starting Mix, which is designed to promote healthy root development, and can balance drainage and wicking to prevent root rot in the early stages of propagation.
Dried and fresh herbs can also be used for producing syrups, infused oils, and custom seasoning blends, which make the perfect holiday gifts.
Personally Propagated Presents
Houseplants are a perfect present for any of your friends, whether new to plant care or a houseplant professional. Propagated houseplants are an easy gift to grow and give, but there’s something very personal and special about sharing a piece of a plant you’ve taken such good care of. If you have a pothos, philodendron, tradescantia, pilea, monstera, or prayer plant, follow our easy guide on how to propagate your houseplants into easy and creative gifts.
You’ll want to transplant your newly rooted houseplants into a high-quality growing media that’s crafted to work perfectly for supporting long-term plant growth, like our All-Purpose Veggie Mix! Though this soil mix is traditionally used for outdoor vegetable containers and flowerpots, the high-quality blend is a perfect companion for houseplants and indoor garden spaces. Compost and peat moss support balanced water retention, meaning you can water less-frequently. The added rock and sea mineral complex supplies a complete nutrient program, and can help houseplants that are struggling with nutrient deficiencies, supporting larger and brighter foliage, along with stronger growth and development.
All-Purpose Veggie Mix is also easily customizable and buildable for your different plant needs. Many houseplants (and houseplant parents) prefer a growing media with a lot of drainage to prevent issues like root rot. Mixing a handful of perlite or rice hulls is an easy and cheap way to add drainage to Veggie Mix. You can also mix in a handful of coarse sand and chunky pumice to easily create the perfect potting soil for your cactuses and succulents.
Kits of Every Kind
Don’t have time to create your own houseplant or to craft an indoor herb garden? You can build a plant care kit based on what your favorite gardener needs! No matter what they’re growing, or where, we have a broad range of products that can support happy and healthy plants, inside and out.
Kit 1: Garden Care Essentials
Activated Compost, Raised Bed Mix, All-Purpose Fertilizer, BIOACTIVE Bundle
Kit 2: Seed Starting Must-Haves
Seed Starter Mix, BIOACTIVE Bundle
Kit 3: Flower Power Pack
Activated Potting Mix, Activated Compost, BIOACTIVE Supercharger
Kit 4: A Houseplant Parent’s Bundle (of Joy)
All-Purpose Veggie Mix, BIOACTIVE Bundle, Seed Starter Mix
Kit 5: Porch Garden Paradise
IndiCanja, Activated Potting Mix, All-Purpose Fertilizer
With the holiday season fast-approaching, there’s so much to consider when it comes to holiday shopping. We’re here to take some of the guesswork out of getting ready for the season, with a wide range of mixes and amendments that are perfect for gardeners of any expertise. Need some help finding the perfect selection for the gardener in your life? Contact our experts here for recommendations!