3 Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Plant Lovers
Have you been finding it really hard to make Valentine's Day plans this year due to the pandemic? We can help you with that! Here are three thoughtful Valentine's Day gift ideas that you can give to your favorite plant lovers.A Plant-based meal for two
Nothing says I love you more than food. Our first recommendation is to make them some Thai Peanut Zucchini Pasta, a super delicious and nutritious plant-based meal that’s incredibly quick and easy to make.To make this dish, you will need:
- Avocado oil
- Green onions
- A red bell pepper
- Carrots
- Cherry tomatoes
- A small knob of ginger
- Purple cabbage (which you can buy shredded or shred yourself)
- Zucchini noodles. If you don't have a vegetable spiral maker that's completely fine. Simply use a mandoline or vegetable peeler for zucchini ribbons, or slice it up vertically with a knife.
Ingredients for Thai Peanut Zucchini Pasta
To make the sauce, simply mix these ingredients together:
- 1/2 cup salted creamy peanut butter* (or almond or sunflower butter)
- 1-2 Tbsp gluten-free tamari (if not gluten-free, substitute with soy sauce // if soy-free, substitute with coconut aminos*)
- 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup (or other sweetener of choice)
- 1 tsp chili garlic sauce (or 1 red Thai chili, minced // or 1/4 tsp red pepper flake // adjust to preferred spice level)
- 2-3 Tbsp lime juice
- ~1/4 cup water (to thin)
Mixing all ingredients together
To assemble this dish:
- Reserve your zucchini noodles and green onions.
- Mince your ginger.
- Halve your tomatoes and slice up the rest of your vegetables into thin strips. This will help you mimic the appearance of pasta. It’s completely okay if you can’t julienne your vegetables like a professional chef! Focus on cutting them as thinly and as straight as possible.
- Add some oil to a pan on medium heat. Once your oil starts shimmering, add your minced ginger and sauté it for one minute or until fragrant.
- Add your carrots, bell peppers, cabbage and tomatoes to the pan and sauté until soft.
- Add the zucchini noodles and sauce. The zucchini should cook almost instantly.
- Serve the dish with chopped green onions.
Thai Peanut Zucchini Pasta
Keep the love and the plants alive with a grow light
Our second gift recommendation is a grow light! One of the saddest things to experience as a plant lover is to not be able to grow the plants you really want to grow because you don't have the right lighting for them to thrive. Getting a grow light can change all of that! These lights help your plants grow and thrive in any room, and in any kind of home. A great option is the Vita bulb, it’s our latest product launch at Soltech Solutions and can be attached to your favorite lamp. We also offer the Aspect, which is a beautiful hanging pendant light, and the Highland, which is a track lighting system ideal for plant-walls and plant-filled rooms. To check out all of our products and see which one works for you or for the plant lover in your life, visit www.soltechsolutions.com!Everyone loves a succulent
A plant-lover is bound to appreciate a new plant as a Valentine’s Day gift! Don’t just choose any plant though. If you're choosing to give a plant over cut flowers, then you want that plant to be able to last a long time. Our recommendation is for you to gift a succulent. These plants are fantastic gifts because they're beautiful, inexpensive and really hard to kill, so they’ll last a long time even when neglected. Underwatering is also not an issue with succulents due to their drought-resistant nature. However, succulents do need a lot of sunlight, often up to eight hours a day. Make sure they take care of it by placing the succulent next to a bright window or underneath a grow light.
Succulent collection, photographed by Annie Spratt
There are many different kinds of succulents to select from, meaning that you’re bound to find one that fits the personality of anyone you’re choosing a gift for! Aloe is a popular choice, as well as money trees. Some succulents even flower every year!A bouquet with a special meaning
Last but not least, a bouquet of roses is a classic Valentine's day gift - and for good reason! Contrary to popular belief, flowers are not an exclusive gift to romantic partners. You can also gift them in celebration of your friends, family and everybody that you love. The key is in the color of your flowers, all of which have their own unique meanings.- Yellow flowers symbolize friendship
- Orange flowers mean either admiration or excitement
- Purple or lavender flower indicates mystery or enchantment
- A pink flower is a metaphor for the beginning stages of a romance
- And a classic red rose is a symbol of a deep romantic connection
Rose bouquets, photographed by Emily Fletke
Many people truly do appreciate cut flowers, and explaining the meaning behind your choice makes for an even more thoughtful gift. We hope you enjoyed these 3 Valentine’s Day gift ideas! As passionate plant lovers ourselves, we’re sure that these gifts are bound to impress any plant lover in your life.
