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Want to give something more personal and special this Valentine's Day? Now’s the perfect time to enjoy the fruits of your labour and spoil that special someone with your homegrown bounty.
Floral fancy
Glue pretty paper around an empty tin can, place a florist’s oasis inside it, wet it and add a few freshly picked flowers from your garden – a gorgeous gift that will warm the heart of your loved one!
Sweet treat
Make this easy berry jam as a tasty gift for a family member with a sweet tooth.
You will need • 500g mixed berries • 375ml white sugar • 30ml fresh lemon juice
Place all the ingredients in a large glass bowl and mix well. Put the mixture in the microwave and cook it on medium power (50%), without a lid, for 5 minutes or until all the sugar has dissolved. Stir every 2 minutes. Cook for another 16 minutes on full power, stirring every 3 minutes. Pour the hot jam into a glass jar and seal it. Turn it upside down and leave it for 2 minutes; turn once again and allow it to rest until cool.
A bundle of flavour
Pick fresh herbs from your garden, put them in a brown paper bag and tie a lovely ribbon around it; as a bonus, add one of your favourite recipes that uses the herb.
The gift that keeps on giving...
Bottled fruit and vegetables make a delicious gift. Finish off the jar with a piece of pretty cloth edged with pinking shears and tied with a cheerful matching ribbon.
Egg-ceptional!
Make cuttings from your herb garden and give them away to a special friend. Plant them in empty egg shells and water carefully; the cuttings will get all the nutrients they need at this stage. Remind the lucky person who receives this green gift to scatter the crushed egg shells around the herbs after they’ve been planted – they keep the snails away!
