Every year, it seems like the holiday season arrives earlier and earlier. Maybe the “holidays” are the furthest thing from your mind right now. But If you’re someone who loves handmade gift-giving, you’re probably okay with getting ahead. And if you want to give simple yet thoughtful gifts from the garden, now is the time to start planning.
Dried Bouquets
Dried flower bouquets let you extend the beauty of cut flowers well past summertime. You can personalize your bouquet with the receiver’s favorite flowers. You can also use seed heads and foliage of plants in addition to the flowers. The best time to cut flowers is after any dew has dried and right before they are in full bloom. Gather your bouquet and secure the bunch with garden string or a rubber band. Hang upside down in a cool, dark, well-ventilated area for a few weeks. Dried bouquets make great decorations that can brighten up any space. Some good plants for dried bouquets are lavender, yarrow, poppy seed heads, grasses, sunflowers, and roses.
Dried Fruit and Vegetables
Fruit and vegetables can be dried and then packaged up for gift-giving. Dried fruit makes a tasty snack or oatmeal topper. Dried vegetables can be used in soups, pasta dishes, and more. A dehydrator works best for drying produce, but fruit high in sugar and acid can be dried outside in the sun. Most tomatoes are high in acid and so can be sun-dried. Be sure to research the best techniques for drying your own garden pickings.
Pressed Flowers
Flower pressing is a hobby that goes back quite a long time. Pressing flowers is one of the easiest ways to enjoy your garden in a tangible way. There are some really neat flower presses you can buy. Otherwise, you can flatten flowers between a piece of wax paper and use books to press down on the plants for a couple of weeks. The secret is to use plants that are not too bulky or full of moisture. Suggested plants are roses, calendula flowers, yarrow, ferns, lavender, daisies, California poppies, Queen Anne’s lace, and zinnias. After a couple of weeks of pressing, check to see if the plant is fully dried, and look out for mold. If there is any mold, sadly, it needs to be tossed. There are so many things you can make with pressed plants. You can make greeting cards and gift tags, decorative pictures using clear panes, and more.
Herbal Tea
If you have an abundance of chamomile flowers, consider using them as part of an herbal tea gift basket. Combine your flowers with a loose tea leaf infuser, and you have a gift that promotes relaxation. Other good herbal teas are lemon balm, rose petals, sage, lemon verbena, or any combination.
Kitchen Spices
Almost everyone can appreciate a homegrown gift of dried spices. We all have to eat, so dried kitchen spices can be a universally loved gift! It’s a great way to use that extra harvest of rosemary, sage, or thyme. For garlic lovers, you could give up a few cloves or a whole garlic braid if you’re generous.
Lavender Hot Chocolate Mix
For something unique, lavender hot chocolate mix can be easily made at home. Harvest some lavender cuttings and hang them to dry upside down. English varieties are best to use for flavoring. In a couple of weeks, after they are fully dry, collect the dried flower buds by stripping them off of the stems. Mix 1 TBSP of dried flower buds into 1 cup of your favorite premade hot cocoa mix, or make your own blend. Dried lavender is pretty strong in flavor, so you can use less if you like. Package in a jar and label. You could make a pretty label with pressed flowers, too!
Herbal Bath Soak
Dried herbs can be mixed with Epsom salt to enhance bath time. Chamomile and lavender are a fantastic mix for a sleepy-time bath blend. Sage and rosemary can be supportive to use during a cold. You can also add different kinds of salts for color and relaxation. Dead sea salt can give your mix a luxurious spa feeling. Pink Himalayan salt adds a fun color. Add layers of salt and dried herbs in a jar. Get creative. Rose petals are a classic herbal bath addition. Add a muslin bag to contain the herbs to avoid any mess in the bath.
Time to Start Planning
Handmade gifts take effort, so give yourself plenty of time. Making gifts with your plants is a fun way to connect to your garden. If friends and family enjoy spending time in your garden, then chances are they will be moved by a thoughtful gift that came from the source. Happy gifting!