I was recently asked to provide a gift idea for a business. The President of the Board of Directors for a
local non-profit organization was looking for an appropriate budget friendly gift for the upcoming holiday season. Of course, as you all know, I think that as a business you should avoid the holiday
season all together. You can so easily be lost in the crowd of all the other gift baskets, cans of cookies and cards.
However, if you are looking for the perfect holiday gift – here it is: succulents. I really love giving succulents because you can package them in so many ways. They are extremely attractive and can be planted in elegant, simple, dramatic, funny, feminine or masculine arrangements. They can really help your gift stand out from the crowd.
Succulent plants store water within and that makes them great for growing in many conditions. Most people believe that they are simple to keep alive. I won’t lie, growing succulents indoors can be a bit tricky, but that is part of the reason to gift one.
I know that seems to make no sense, but part of the reason to give a gift as a business owner is to create a connection to the client, customer or collaborator you give the gift to. What better way to keep a connection going than to have an ongoing point of discussion. So after your “Happy holidays – Thanks for helping me grow” note that you include with the succulent you have a reason to connect again. In a couple weeks or after the New Year, send additional care instructions with some information on a new product or a link to your latest blog post or service offer. And if their succulent doesn’t make it 6 months down the road – guess what – another reason to connect – send them another one!
Presentation
One of the keys of using succulents as a gift is to connect the presentation to the giftee. And the best way to do that is to play off something you know that person loves or represents their business. If you aren’t sure about their interest or can’t determine how to best connect to their business, go with an elegant or classic presentation like a terrarium or mini garden.
Here are some examples to show you the vast presentation options available with succulents.
For Book Lover
For a Runner
Tea Lover
Car Fanatic
Wine Lover
Beer Enthusiast
Construction Industry
Use their logo
Photographer
Restaurant
Succulent Terrarium
Driftwood
Mini Garden
Of course, you do not have to plant and package your own succulents. Although with all the insights
provided by Cassidy Tuttle at Succulents and Sunshine, you totally could pull that off – green thumb or not. She is THE expert and below are some of her beginners tips and tricks.
There are numerous local purchase options available. Just check in with local nurseries or florists and I
am sure you will find a retailer able to help you put together beautiful arrangements. And of course there are always online options – just google succulents.
If your budget allows, I highly recommend using a professional who works with succulents a lot. Julia
from Succulent Artworks is your perfect go to person. She makes gorgeous wreaths, beautiful potted
arrangements and magnificent hanging succulents as well. Custom orders can be made and the sizes of her arrangements vary from the tiny hand held potted plant to the massive hanging wreath.
Julia provides easy succulent care instructions with your order to bring years of lasting beauty. Which is a great cheat sheet for that follow-up connection.
Check out her beautiful work below. You’ll soon see why she is called an artist!
Ok – now that you have some succulent inspiration or a buying plan, let’s write that perfect note. Here
are some suggest messages:
It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with you this year. We wish you the best of holidays and a
New Year filled with success and growth!
____________________________________________
as we CELEBRATE the Holidays
we THANK YOU
for helping us GROW
we wish you much
PEACE
JOY
LOVE
INSPIRATION
& SUCCESS
in the New Year
______________________________________________
During the Holiday Season our thoughts turn gratefully
to those who have helped us grow.
And in the spirit we send our warmest thoughts and best wishes for a Christmas filled with happiness.
May the coming year fill your home with joy
your heart with love and your life with laughter.
Ok – now let’s fast forward several weeks, and it is time to reconnect. Here are some simple care
instructions to include. I have linked to the stellar advice Cassidy provides to help us all keep our
beautiful plants alive!
Let’s talk about watering
Cassidy makes it simple: 1) No spray bottles 2) don’t overwater 3) dry soil = watering time
She says “When you water your succulents, you want to make sure the soil is completely soaked. Why?
Because your succulents will expect a drought, and will soak up as much water as they can. Then give
your soil a couple days to dry out–and don’t water again until the soil is completely dry!!!
Never spray the plants. The more humid the area you live the longer you should go between watering.
In the end, you’re going to have to experiment and see what watering schedule works for you. When
you’re dealing with full-sized plants, it’s better to err on the side of underwater, since too much water
tends to kill succulents more quickly than too little. In fact, your succulents need a short drought every
few days, in order to encourage new roots to grow.” Read the full article HERE
Let’s talk about soil
Again Cassidy makes is simple: 1) Use Bonsai Jack Soil. 2) you can make your own, but ummm use Bonsai Jack Soil 🙂
Basically if you make your own arrangements or you or your giftee is going to repot them, it important
to note that the correct soil for succulents is essential. Succulents need to be placed in soil that holds
water and dries out quickly so that the plant can absorb what it needs, but the roots won’t rot. Read her full article HERE.
I encourage you to check out Succulents and Sunshine for all the help you need when presenting a succulent as a gift or for any other succulent related matter.
Happy Gifting!
Isaiah 61:11
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise To spring up before all the nations.
