BENGALURU: In an age of consumerism, shopping and gifting at a click of a mouse, the act of sending someone a sapling or a plant is thankfully still considered a noble way of showing concern to not only that person but the environment as well. Here are some reasons why this practice is still going strong:
Corporates driving trend
With more corporations laying stress on sustainability, what they choose to gift on the numerous occasions is no longer a trivial question. Pooja, a senior corporate professional, chose green giveaways for a conference she and her company organised because she thought it was a great way to make their behind-the-scenes sustainability practices more visible.
Govind, a communications manager with a multinational IT firm, also noticed that it sets off a healthy trend of people keeping plants on their desks and made their office space greener. With stricter corporate policies on what can be accepted as gifts, plants are a safer bet.
Young and green
There have been several instances when youngsters, gave a pass to big fat weddings and its exhibitionist giveaways, and instead chose to merely plant or gift saplings. Young parents are opting for green kits as return gifts for their kid’s birthday parties. One would have expected love for all things plants and green to come from the older generation, but this favouring of plants by the young is a pleasant surprise.
Push to innovate
With the young and trendy showing an interest in plants, the horticultural industry which had hitherto been traditional is also facing the heat to innovate. Gifting is as much about packaging and aesthetics as about what’s inside. This has given rise to niche businesses that combine gifting sensibilities with plant knowledge. Products that are more than just potted plants are also catching urban fancy. One of the top trending e-commerce google keywords last January was ‘terrariums’ – a creative arrangement of plants inside glass containers.
A plant for every occasion
Most gifts are designed for celebrations. But plants are unique in that they are appropriate for gifting even on more sober occasions, like memorials, get-well-soon messages or rendering that long-pending apology to someone.
Across cultures, plants are associated with positive meanings and symbolism, so that no matter what the occasion, there will be a plant for it, whether it is Peace Lilies for condolences or Jade plant for a housewarming.
Living Gifts
Plants are getting more popular as a choice of gifts, especially among urban Indians. It seems to them these are still more meaningful alternatives to the mass-produced knickknacks that get passed around as gifts.
Two basic rules
So if you are contemplating gifting plants, here are two basic rules. First, where are they likely to keep it. If it is going to be a typical office with little natural light, choose a low-light plant, like Pothos. Second, who are you gifting it to? If, say, your girlfriend is a first-timer, you might want to propose to her with a hardy plant that lasts as long as your love! I’d recommend a Mother-in-law’s-tongue (snake plant), though the name can make her a tad uncomfortable!