How to Wrap a Plant for Valentine's Day

How to wrap a plant for Valentine's Day

Roses double in price in the second week of February and are in the bin by the 21st. A plant costs the same and is still on the windowsill next Valentine's Day - which is either romantic or a lot of pressure, depending on the relationship.

The wrapping has to work harder here, because a plant in a plastic pot doesn't look like a gesture until you cover the pot.

We don't sell plants - we make cards, pin badges and prints in house, printed in the UK. So this is a straight guide to the wrapping, and the card to send with it.

The card to tie to the wrapping

Valentine's cards designed in house and printed in the UK.

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The rule that applies every time

  • Wrap the pot, never the plant. Paper comes up to the rim and stops there.
  • Tie at the rim with ribbon or twine so the foliage stays completely free.
  • Tape a circle of card over the soil with a slit for the stem, so nothing spills in the car.
  • Water lightly a day or two before, never on the day.
  • Tuck the card into the ribbon rather than taping it to the pot.

Plants that work instead of roses

  • String of hearts - the name does the work and it trails beautifully.
  • Anthurium, for red without a single cut stem.
  • A miniature rose in a pot if you want the obvious thing that also survives.
  • Hoya, which flowers eventually and rewards patience - a decent metaphor if you need one.
  • A cactus only if it's a running joke between you. Otherwise it reads as sarcasm.

Wrapping that reads as romantic

  • Plain black or deep red paper, one wide satin ribbon at the rim, nothing else.
  • Brown paper and red twine if you'd rather it looked understated than shop-bought.
  • Skip the heart-print cellophane - it traps damp and looks like a petrol station.
  • Sit the card in front of the pot rather than buried in the leaves.
  • One ribbon colour, tied once. Bows on bows kill it.

What to write on the label

  • Happy Valentine's Day - unlike roses, this one sticks around.
  • Low maintenance, unlike me. Happy Valentine's Day.
  • Water on Sundays, love all week.
  • Happy Valentine's Day - here's to still having it next February.

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How to write it so it lands

  • Buy it a few days early - the good ones go by the 13th.
  • Cover the plastic pot. It's the difference between a gift and a garden centre trolley.
  • No cellophane hearts. They trap damp and look cheap.
  • Write the care line on the card so they don't have to ask.

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Frequently asked questions

Is a plant a good Valentine's gift?

It is if they keep plants or have somewhere bright to put one. It costs the same as roses in February and lasts years rather than a week.

What plant says romance?

String of hearts, anthurium for red, a potted miniature rose, or a hoya. All read as deliberate rather than a last-minute garage purchase.

How do you transport a plant in February?

In the footwell with the heater on low, not the boot. A cold car for an hour can damage the leaves of tropical houseplants.

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