Gift

To join in with Lou's Nature in the Home series...

When my mum's visited recently she's brought green things: lilacs and this time, a cutting of a little houseplant. It's growing away enthusiastically on the kitchen windowsill. So much so that I repotted it yesterday afternoon. I like the colours. Mossy green and purple are one of my favourite combinations.

We tend to get plants, bulbs and flowers quite often as gifts. I think they're the perfect offering. In fact, here's a list of nice things to give (and, of course, to receive):

Perennial seeds such as aquilegia or wildflower mixes

Hyacinth, muscari or miniature narcissi bulbs (to flower in the house)

Cuttings from houseplants - geraniums are easy

Home-grown fruit and vegetables (or jam/chutney made from them)

A pot of herbs - again, easy to take cuttings

Alpine strawberry plants

A clump from a plant which has been divided: maybe snowdrops or hosta

I could go on and on and on... I love plants!