Gifts for a green-fingered Valentine
Peony Red Charm, available from Claire Austin. PA Photo/Handout - Credit: Archant
So, what to get your green-fingered loved one on Valentine’s Day? Of course, the classic gift is a dozen red roses, but there are many more tokens which will last much longer...
Romantic blooms
The beautiful Peony ‘Red Charm’ from Claire Austin Hardy Plants is a gorgeous double glossy red peony that opens into a domed ball surrounded by large guard petals. Growing to 81cm tall by 75cm wide, the flowers are held quite upright on thick, stiff stems and each flower blooms for ages (£12 plus P&P, claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk)
The pretty blooms of pieris should be in bud by Valentine’s Day and among the most eye-catching is the aptly named P. japonica ‘Valley Valentine’, with its cascading clusters of dusky red flowers, or alternatively opt for the Pieris japonica ‘Ralto’, which has variegated leaves and a pink flower, or Pieris ‘Katsura’, another variety with a red flower (£12.99, Hillier Garden Centres and available at other good garden centres)
If your Valentine prefers summer blooms, treat her to a gift of Thompson & Morgan Begonia Majestic Mixed (£22 for six tubers, qvcuk.com)
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Seeds of love
The new ‘Wine’ and ‘Dine’ Collections from Chiltern Seeds feature flowers with quaffable-sounding names including Clarkia purpurea ‘Burgundy Wine’, Lathyrus odoratus ‘Beaujolais’ and Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Beaujolais Bonnets’, along with ‘dining’ varieties such as Strawberry ‘Temptation’, Capsicum chilli pepper ‘Hungarian Black’ and Asparagus ‘Connover’s Colossal’, which come beautifully and romantically wrapped (£10 for five packets, chilternseeds.co.uk)
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Feeling fruity
The Forbidden Fruit kit may be the gift to get your loved one, a grow-your-own kit featuring two types of strawberries, goji berries, golden berries and Charentais melon (£12.99, gettingpersonal.co.uk)
Gorgeous gifts
Using iconic floral imagery from the RHS Lindley Library, the Rosa Chinensis gift set in gentle green and soft romantic pink features gloves, trowel, fork, secateurs and Kneelo Kneeler (£64.95, burgonandball.com)
If you’re going to buy red flowers for February 14, why not choose an accompanying red vase. LSA International has a stylish bud vase, mouth-blown from a single piece of glass (£14.50, stockist details at lsa-international.com)
Stylish gauntlets and gloves from the Sophie Conran Raspberry Collection made by Burgon and Ball are comfortable and hard-wearing (£14.95, burgonandball.com) while watering aids also make pretty accessories, including Hozelock’s AquaDeco globes in orange and red (£9.99 for three, hozelock.com also DIY stores and leading garden centres).
