Peter Dowdall: The Valentine's Day plant picks that make perfect gifts

Bleeding heart or dicentra is an apt choice for Valentine's Day, says Peter Dowdall. File picture

If you're reading this on Valentine’s Day and you haven’t already gifted the love of your life, then this advice may be coming too late. Still, gardening has a way of forgiving bad timing, and sometimes the most thoughtful gestures are the ones that last beyond a single day.

A bunch of red roses is synonymous with Valentine’s Day, but it’s worth stopping to consider what that tradition now represents. Many of those roses will have travelled halfway across the world in refrigerated transport, treated with preservatives and artificial stimulants to ensure they look perfect for a brief moment before fading just as quickly.