Spring is a great time to say thanks and recognize a few special people in our lives like teachers, neighbors, co-workers, and friends. Since it’s spring, how about giving a gift that’s green? Not cash, I mean a living plant. It doesn’t have to be a huge bouquet of roses or even a flower. Last week, I attended a luncheon with friends and our hostess gave each of us a gift of herbs to take home. My pot contained cilantro and oregano. Others had combinations of mint, sweet basil, rosemary, thyme, dill, and sage. Some of us will plant them in our gardens and others will keep them on our window sills. All of us will smile and think of our hostess as we enjoy their fresh flavor in our favorite dishes this summer.
A “green” gift doesn’t need to cost much. Most of us don’t have plants available yet from our own gardens to give away this time of year, but the garden centers at many stores are now open and have four-packs of herb or flower seedlings ready to plant or pot. Fancy containers for them are not necessary either. Look around your pantry or basement. Got an old cup, tea tin, or Mason jar? Fill it with potting soil and tie a pretty ribbon on it. If giving an herb, a label with its name is helpful since they don’t tend to be as readily identifiable to hard-core gardeners as flowers. Recipes are also fun to receive with an herb gift.
It’s been a long, ol’winter. Reach out to a special person in your life and put a little “green” in it. The smile on your friend’s face will be worth it.
Happy Earth Day! 
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