Peter Dowdall: The Valentine's Day plant picks that make perfect gifts
If you're reading this on Valentine’s Day and you haven’t already gifted the love of your life, then this advice may be coming too late. Still, gardening has a way of forgiving bad timing, and sometimes the most thoughtful gestures are the ones that last beyond a single day. A bunch of red roses is synonymous with Valentine’s Day, but it’s worth stopping to consider what that tradition now represents. Many of those roses will have travelled halfway across the world in refrigerated transport, treated with preservatives and artificial stimulants to ensure they look perfect for a brief moment before fading just as quickly.There are far more meaningful alternatives for anyone with an interest in plants and gardens. Giving something that grows, changes and improves with time feels far more appropriate to the spirit of the day. Purple rose 'Rainy Blue': A rose plant is often a good choice as a Valentine's gift, says Peter Dowdall. File pictureA rose plant, rather than a bouquet, is a good place to start. Roses have a reputation for being high maintenance, but that image is outdated. Modern varieties are far tougher and lower maintenance than many people expect, and once established, they can provide years of flowers with surprisingly little effort.There is also an enormous range to choose from, which means there is a rose to suit almost any garden or growing style. Floribunda roses offer generous clusters of flowers and tend to be reliable and free-flowering. Hybrid teas give the classic single blooms on long stems, ideal for cutting. David Austin roses combine old-fashioned charm with repeat flowering and fragrance. Climbers and ramblers can be trained onto walls, arches or fences, while shrub roses work beautifully as standalone plants or informal hedging. At this time of year, roses don’t look their best. Most are bare sticks in pots, waiting for spring so the magic can begin. That can make them a hard sell as a Valentine’s gift, but presentation makes all the difference. Planting a rose in an attractive plant pot immediately lifts it from something ordinary into a beautiful gift. Underplanting the pot with seasonal flowers such as primroses, violas, or small bulbs adds colour and life now, while the rose itself prepares for the months ahead. It shows you’re thinking beyond today.Another plant that feels particularly apt for Valentine’s Day is bleeding heart, or dicentra. It may not look like much at the moment. If you plant it now, all you will see is soil in a pot, as the plant is dormant, storing its energy underground, and in spring it sends up the most beautiful and graceful, arching stems lined with delicate, heart-shaped flowers that dangle like tiny horticultural lockets. Soft pinks and whites hover above finely divided foliage, creating a plant that is both romantic and dramatic.There’s something a bit symbolic about giving a plant like Dicentra at this time of year. On the surface, there’s little to see, but everything is happening below ground. It’s full of promise, much like any good relationship, built on patience, care and trust. As with roses, presentation helps. Plant it into a nice pot and underplant with seasonal flowers to make it feel complete on the day, even though its true display is still weeks away.Both roses and bleeding heart have the added benefit of being long-lived. They settle into gardens, becoming part of the space, and when they bloom, they bring back the memory of when they were given; they carry that association with them in a way that no bouquet ever could.Of course, there is nothing wrong with giving cut flowers. Sometimes the occasion or the recipient calls for something immediate and fleeting. If you do go down that route, it’s worth seeking out flowers that are grown closer to home. The choice may be limited in February, but there are growers in Ireland producing seasonal, sustainably grown flowers without the high environmental cost of imported blooms. A good place to start your search is Flower Farmers Ireland, an organisation that connects local flower growers across the country. You may not find red roses in abundance, but what you will find are flowers grown with care, in season, and with a much lighter footprint.Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about perfection or grand gestures. In the garden, we’re constantly reminded that good things take time, that appearances can be deceptive, and that patience is usually rewarded. A plant given now, even one that doesn’t look like much yet, can grow into something far more meaningful than a gift that lasts a week. Whether it’s a rose settling into its pot, a bleeding heart waiting below the soil, or a bunch of locally grown flowers, the thought behind it is what really matters.
