Now that the days are shorter and I’m spending less time in the garden, I’ve been thinking of ways to still get that growing buzz while not taking up too much space inside the house so decided to look at some home grown Christmas gift ideas. Not only does this bring a lovely personal touch to gifting but it also offers something low cost and sustainable to look forward to and enjoy long after the festive season has passed. Growing your own Christmas gifts is a great way of sharing plants with friends or family who may not have the time to grow for themselves and if you have children wanting a little present for their teacher, makes a welcome and thoughtful change from chocolates.
Here are some ideas that you might like to try.
1. Christmas Rose
I have a hellebore called Christmas Carol growing in my garden, which is a nod to my mum whose birthday was in December and yes, was called Carol. It’s now self-seeded and although I’m really tempted to keep the small plants as I’m always amazed by their resilience and cheeriness in the cold dark months (as I was by my mum), this year I’m going to share the joy, hopefully for years to come.
I’m going to gently lift a plant from the soil, taking care not to damage the roots and pop it in a recycled pot with compost but you can always buy a smaller, ready grown one from the garden centre and grow it on.
Add some festive wrapping or a pretty bow and perhaps a homemade gift tag with its variety and instructions to plant it outside after the holidays and you have a gift that will keep on giving.
2. Narcissus
Any of the cheerful narcissi family work really well as a gift but I think the delicately scented, Paperwhite variety are perfect for Christmas as they match any colour scheme.
Select an odd number of bulbs that will fit in your chosen container closely but without touching each other – this looks much more natural - and after adding a layer of stones or grit for drainage if your container doesn’t have holes, plant in compost or bulb fibre, if you have it, with their tips just under the surface. Leave them somewhere bright and cool but frost free, a window sill in an unheated room, garage or shed is ideal. Water sparingly when the top layer of compost dries out completely. They will take about 8 weeks to flower so after six, bring them into the warm and you should have flowers in time for Christmas.
The Paperwhite variety isn’t hardy where I am in the North of the UK so perhaps add some instructions to suggest that once they’ve flowered and died back, taking them out of the compost, letting the bulbs dry and storing them ready to replant or even re-gift again this time next year.
3. Hyacinth
These fill a room with beautiful, delicate scent and come in an array of colours but again I like to choose white as it fits with most people’s Christmas displays.
You will need to select bulbs that are described as ‘prepared’ or ‘forced’ as these will flower earlier than the others which would appear in the spring. Wearing gloves, (the bulbs can cause skin irritation) plant two thirds submerged in compost or bulb fibre in a fairly shallow pot or container, a re-purposed bowl or dish can look really pretty but will need a layer of stones or grit at the bottom for drainage if it has no holes. Again, odd numbers look more natural, the pointy end facing skyward and don’t allow the bulbs to touch.
Water the compost sparingly and place them in a cool dark place to encourage root development, checking on them once a week or so. When the cream coloured shoot has appeared and reaches about 4cm tall, move them to somewhere bright and cool but frost free, a window sill in an unheated room, garage or shed is ideal, the shoot will then begin to turn green. They will take about 10 weeks to flower, from planting so after eight, bring them into the warm and you should have flowers in time for Christmas. Remember to check on the moistures level of the compost and add a little water if the top few centimetres are dry. Try not to be tempted to overwater as this can result in lots of lush foliage but less dramatic flowers.
Add a homemade gift tag with care instructions that suggest letting the plants die back naturally and then to remove, dry and store the bulb for next autumn when the process can either be repeated in time for Christmas or the bulbs can be planted directly into the garden, at a depth of two to three times their height, where they will flower in spring.
4. Amaryllis
You often see little kits in the shops to give as gifts, these are nice but in my view, a spectacular, showy, ready grown version makes a gift that’s strikingly festive. I do deviate from white here as the red/green combination is so seasonal. They take 6-8 weeks to flower so now’s a perfect time to start.
You can either plant a single bulb in compost or suspend it over a re-cycled jar or vase of water but in either case only cover a third and leave the remaining two thirds exposed. Place in a bright, cool spot and water sparingly. Once the shoot has appeared, give it a turn every few days to make sure it grows upright and doesn’t lean towards the light and increase the watering just a little. These grow quite tall so, as it gets bigger, a carefully inserted cane and loose tie may be helpful for support.
Just before the holidays, decorate the pot/vase with a pretty bow or some recycled wrapping paper and it’s ready to gift. A note to explain that after flowering, the leaves will continue to grow and it can, if desired live outside for the summer. After it dies back, gently remove the dead leaves and keeping the bulb in its pot place it somewhere cool and dark and the process can begin again.
5. Cactus
I often think that the geometric shapes of some cacti look like little snowflakes so could make a perfect Christmas gift. If you have a cactus with new plants shooting off from the base, these can be used to make lovely, low-cost gifts. The flowering Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera) is particularly good for the holidays.
Take a sharp, clean knife and slice the small plant away form the parent at approximately a 45º angle. Unlike other plants that need to be potted straight away, the cactus grows best if you put it aside for a few days until the cut part dries out and callouses over. Then, replant in a very slightly damp gritty compost mix. There will be no need to water this straight away. Tie a nice bow around the pot and add a tag instructing the recipient to water sparingly and keep their new plant in a warm, bright spot.
You can of course grow cuttings from any of your houseplants that you are happy to share too and these make nice gifts to take along if you are invited to visit someone over the festive season.
6. Seed Collections
If you followed my suggestions for collecting seeds at the end of the summer Saving Seeds - Saving Resources and can bear to part with any, you’ll have the makings of a wonderful gift at no cost, that will delight for years to come.
Make some festive envelopes and add the name and some growing instructions or perhaps create your own wildflower mix in attractive recycled packets or containers. You could even add some hand drawn pictures or create a digital link to some online info. if you feel inspired.
I hope that this give you some ideas for low, or even no cost festive gifts that will keep on giving and hopefully inspires some ideas of your own. Please do get in touch and let me know how you get on.
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