Truly Gifted: An A-Z DIY Holiday Workshop For The Organic Gardener On Your Holiday List

We all know what happened in Dr. Seuss' The Lorax when the Once-ler devised ways of cutting down Truffula trees for the "Biggering and Biggering" of his manufacturing operation. He "Biggered" to the point where he altered the Lorax's landscape with polluted water, polluted air, and a sunless panorama of Truffula stumps.

"I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues." Dr. Seuss

Is there someone in your life you can thank for not making the Lorax's reality your own? Organic gardeners use their big green thumbs to stand against ecological destruction. Just by gardening organically without harmful chemicals, they raise environmental awareness that helps create and maintain healthy ecosystems. Good for the body. Good for the planet.

"What can be more valuable now than a small garden, free of synthetic fertilizers and pesticide poisons, yielding food that tastes as good as the vegetables and fruits we were able to buy in markets years ago? Valuable not only to the body but to the spirit." Robert Rodale, CEO Rodale

Watch VIDEO VIDEO: Watch these A-Z Organic Food Recipes

Give An Organic Plant

Truffala tree's withstanding, Charlie Nardozzi of the The Organic Authority suggests you look beyond poinsettias and give an unusual organic plant like one of the plants below:

Miniature Roses

These diminutive roses produce flowers for weeks in a wide range of colors on plants that grow 5 inches to 3 feet tall, depending on the variety. Even though they won't flower all winter without artificial lighting, they are worth saving until spring. Keep the plants humid by periodically misting the foliage and placing pots on pebble trays filled with water. In spring, move them outdoors and they'll flower all summer.

Edible Plants

The holidays are known for eating. Why not contribute to the food parade by giving a gift of a perennial herb, such as rosemary, or an attractive edible, such as dwarf peppers? Rosemary plants grow best in bright light. Mist them periodically throughout the winter, and water just enough to keep the soil slightly moist. Once the threat of frost has passed in spring, transplant rosemary into a window box, container or herb garden.

Ornamental Christmas peppers, such as "Riot," grow on compact 1-foot-tall plants that feature yellow, orange and red edible fruits. In spring, when the fruits have dried up, cut back the plant dramatically and plant it outdoors. Water and fertilize it well, and it will revive to flower and fruit again.

Moth Orchid

One of the trendiest houseplants is a moth orchid (Phalaenopsis). This is the easiest type of orchid to grow indoors. There are many different colors of flowers, and the plants only require bright, indirect light and normal room temperatures to thrive. The flowers can last for months--much longer than poinsettia or Christmas cactus blooms.

Christmas Rose

Christmas rose (Hellebore) is a perennial flower that's more commonly found in garden centers than in florist shops. Some selections do bloom around Christmas, but even if it's not in flower when you give this gift, the dark green foliage makes it a handsome choice. As soon as the ground thaws, plant your hellebore in a partly shaded spot on well-drained soil and your holiday gift will be enjoyed for years.

Orchid Cactus

While Christmas cactus is a common holiday gift plant, there's another type of cactus that's even more flamboyant. The orchid cactus (Epiphyllum) is related to the Christmas cactus (neither are true cacti) and grows in similar conditions; however, these plants produce large, flat, fleshy leaves and huge flowers. Although they may not be in bloom at the holidays (they tend to bloom later in winter and spring), these easy-to-grow plants will still wow your friends with the 6-inch-long, colorful, orchid-shaped blooms.

Plant it Green

Using organic soil and biodegradable pots or make DIY seedling cups from newspaper or an old map.

Wrap It Green

Ditch the non-recyclable shiny foil wrapping paper. Martha talks about how it detract sfrom the plants "earthy beauty" here. We've got some eco-friendly wrapping alternatives for those precious plants.