Valentine’s Day Gifts Inspired by Your Love Story

Love is a many-splendored thing and worth marking with intention in February.

Whether you’re using Valentine’s Day to demonstrate your love for your partner, your closest friend, or a dear family member, we want to inspire you to express their place in your heart with plants.

Rather than simply buying a traditional bouquet or a potted arrangement, lean into your personal, sentimental stories and get your beloved something that helps capture the special relationship just the two of you share!

We know everyone’s story is unique, but we hope the ideas below serve as inspiration for you to find something exceptional that helps illustrate just how much you value their place in your life.

Rekindling Vacation Vibes

Did you take a significant vacation together recently? If so, consider getting them a plant that is quintessential to that location.

If your journeys took you to Japan, get them a…

• Flowering Cherry – The soft, ephemeral blossoms of Flowering Cherries like ‘Yoshino’ and ‘Akebono’ may only last a few weeks, but they’ll create a lovely reminder of your time away when they are in bloom.
• Japanese Maple – Weeping and upright Japanese Maples act as features in stately gardens across Japan—find a unique specimen for your own garden like the condensed form of ‘Shishigashira’ or the airy and open ‘Villa Taranto’.

If you roamed around Italy together, gift a…

• Dwarf Citrus – The fragrant, white blooms and delicious fruit from an Improved Meyer Lemon tree or Rio Red Grapefruit are even better when grown at home, and maybe next year you can take a stab at making your own limoncello!
• Star Jasmine – Let the sweet fragrance of the starry white flowers of Trachelospermum jasminoides create the perfect retreat right in your own back yard.

If you took a trip down to California, bring back the memories with a…

• Dwarf Conifer – While they can never compete with the Redwoods, let the aroma from the needles of Native Shore Pine or Skylands Spruce transport you back among the giants.
• Palm Tree – Add a touch of Hollywood to your backyard with a Windmill Palm, or bring the California spirit indoors with a Triangle Palm.

Honeymoon on the Mind

Where did you go for your honeymoon? Think about where you celebrated your union and get them something that evokes the spirit of that particular place.

If you basked on the beaches of Hawaii, bring back the heat with a…

• Bird of Paradise – The dramatic foliage of Strelitzia nicolai and the shorter Strelitzia reginae makes a statement and can turn any corner of the house into a tropical paradise.
• Gardenia – The warm, musky floral fragrance of ‘Kleim’s Hardy’ and ‘Frost Proof’ Gardenias in the summer can help transport you back to warm, southern climates.

If you wandered through the deserts in Mexico, warm up the winter with a…

• Agave – With good drainage, hardy varieties of Agave like Agave utahensis or ‘Blue Glow’ can bring some fresh, desert vibes to even the rainiest Portland days.
• Indoor Cactus – Find a retreat in a miniature landscape with one of our adorable Desert Dish Gardens, or sign up for a class to make your own!

If you toured wine country in California, create your own vacation spot by planting a…

• Grape – The vining structure of grapes and their iconic leaves instantly bring back memories, and you might be surprised to find that varieties used for winemaking like ‘Pinot Noir’ are just as tasty eaten fresh as snacking grapes like ‘Vanessa Seedless’.
• Olive – With grey-green evergreen foliage and beautiful bark, hardy olives like ‘Majestic Beauty’ are worth growing even without the fruit, or try your hand at fruiting varieties like ‘Arbequina’.

Memories of a Meaningful Conversation

Where were you when you had your last meaningful conversation? Get them a living reminder of the connection you shared in that special moment.

If you made some strides in your relationship while hiking in the Pacific Northwest, bring them a…

• Fern – Your sweetie may or may not appreciate the challenge of growing an indoor fern like a Boston Fern, so if not, try bringing hardy evergreen varieties like our native Deer Fern or the lovely Tassel Fern into your outdoor space.
• Oregon Grape – Our native Oregon Grape, Mahonia aquifolium, and cultivars like ‘Charity’ and ‘Soft Caress’ are at their best now, full of brilliant yellow blooms.

If you shared secrets while walking down the Oregon Coast, get your kindred spirit a…

• Ornamental Grass – Create a beach-inspired moment in your own garden by adding an assortment of grasses like Carex ‘Frosty Curls’ or Blue Oat Grass to evoke a beachy feeling.
• Water Feature – Splash out and bring home a new water fountain to add the soothing sounds of water to your garden.

If you have your best chats on a walk-and-talk through your own neighborhood, pick up a…

• Maple – The electric bark of a Coral Bark Maple is impossible not to comment on, so why not spur conversation by adding one to your own garden.
• Fragrant Winter Shrub – We’ve all had the experience of walking past a smell-it-before-you-see-it Sarcococca, or you can try growing a rarer Edgeworthia as a way to bring freshness to your garden this winter.

Classic Romance vs. Off-Beat Amour

If your sweetheart is more into classic romance, think about selecting something from our collection of Romantic Plants, including Honeymoon and Wedding Party Hellebores, David Austin, Floribunda, and Tea Roses, Winter and Spring Camellias, and Winter and Summer Daphne.

Or if something a little more counter-culture is more your style, then a black-blooming Hellebore like ‘Black Diamond’ or ‘New York Nights’ might be just the thing.

Whatever your love story, and whomever you love, we want to help make this Valentine’s Day special for you by adding a bit of living beauty to your winter. Our Garden Center staff can help you get creative and find the perfect gift, even if the location you visit doesn’t stock the particular variety mentioned in this article.