This Valentine’s Day, celebrate love with plants that complement each other as well you and your significant other. Gift a plant pairing symbolizes your friendship or opt for an afternoon of gardening with your loved one for quality time together. Here are a few plant pairings that make for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift this year.
1. Date Night Duo: Cilantro + Basil
Give the gift of date night by planting cilantro with basil. These herbs grow well in the same environment, and add a touch of green in your kitchen space and favorite meals.
Its best to plant these so that the basil offers the cilantro some shade, since basil requires a bit more sunlight. Plant both herbs in very fertile soil, and avoid overwatering to ensure each plant gets the nutrients they need.
Valentine’s Day Tip: Create a craft cocktail by adding a touch of basil to your martini for some extra flavor, and use the cilantro to create a creamy cilantro lime chicken recipe. You can even combine both herbs to make a basil-cilantro pesto sauce.
2. Bold as Love: Blue Petunias + Maverick White Geraniums
Plants with contrasting shapes, bright colored blooms or unique textures can make your Valentine’s Day gift as one-of-a-kind as the person receiving it. Storm blue petunias and maverick white geraniums are easy-to-grow in full sun and well-drained soil. The dark blue and bright white will add a beautiful touch to any home.
Plant both in well-drained soil with full sunlight, since they withstand heat and drought. Try storing them indoors during winter months, and place them outdoors once spring returns and any danger of frost is gone. Keep an eye out for small pests in your perennials and treat with the proper insecticides according to label directions.
Valentine’s Day Tip: If bright colors aren’t what you had in mind, try mixing colored flowers with textured foliage for something different. Annual licorice vine is a fuzzy, leafy plant that you could substitute for the blue petunias.
3. Opposites Attract: Succulents + Treasure Flowers
Plant ever-popular succulents with flowers that bloom, such as treasure flowers, for a pairing that’s sure to be as complementing as you and your loved one.
Treasure flowers are simple to grow and produce showy and bright flowers that tolerate most conditions. The difference between the tough and smooth succulents, and the light and airy flowers of the treasure flowers is the perfect representation of your relationship. Treasure flowers are tough, and can flourish in most soil types, even in dry and hot environments. Succulents tend to hold in water and can be susceptible to fungus. If you find fungus in your plant, treat with the proper fungicides according to label directions.
Valentine’s Day Tip: Hoya heart succulents are the perfect Valentine’s themed succulent, and their simple design is a great contrast for flowering perennials.
