• Floral giftgift of roses image by palms from Fotolia.com
  
  Green garden gifts please many different types of friends--flower lovers, gardening enthusiasts and environmentally minded folks alike. Choices abound. Green garden gifts can be home-made. Use your herb garden to create sachets or gourmet herb bouquets Or give an energy saving device; your energy will save theirs. Buy your friend a membership in a non-profit conservancy, or donate in her name. The best gifts give us more back. And that is green, indeed.
  
  

Homemade

• Lavender giftsfleurs et sachets image by CAROL33 from Fotolia.com
  
  The green movement is all about making good use of good things. Your garden is a great place to go shopping for gifts. Wander into your organic herb garden. Snip long supple wands of french lavender. Even off all the stems with kitchen shears. Take one soft sprig and wrap it around the stem bundle. Decorate the lavender bundle with organic cotton ribbon.
  
  Lavender also makes wonderful, fragrant sachets. Clip a fistful of plump lavender flowers. Select an attractive linen tea towel. Lay it on your kitchen counter. Fill the center with the flowers. Gather up the towel edges and secure with copper garden wire. Make sure to leave at least 2 inches of material gathered above the closure. Decorate with ribbon.
  
  

Green Gourmet

• Herbal bouquetfresh herbs and spices. rosemary image by joanna wnuk from Fotolia.com
  
  Create an original herb bouquet. Gather rosemary sprigs, sage, oregano and mint. Bundle and tie with butcher's string. Label your bouquet "Mediterranean Savory."
  
  Snip off lemons with their branches and leaves. In warm winter climates, you can also harvest branches with their fragrant flowers. Tie all together informally.
  
  Infuse plain white wine vinegars with your own flavors. Try adding tarragon or raspberries. Homemade vinegars are safe because of their high acid levels. Never make flavored oils; bacterial contamination is a real threat. Leave infusing oils up to the professionals.
  
  

Clever Gadgets

• Green is all about conservation and smart use. Smart power strips with individual shutoffs eliminate waste. Save money and the planet with this clever gift.
  
  Solar is getting smaller! Buy your green friend a mini-solar charger. A collapsible solar charger can power cell phones or even MP3 music players.
  
  A hand-crank emergency radio relies on human power rather than electricity. In a disaster, green is smart and a life-saver.
  
  

Good Works

• Growing treesreforestation image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
  
  There are many worthy organizations that support green living. Agencies such as Tree People work hard to plant urban forests. They also help in reforestation following wildfire or other natural disasters. Donate a tree in your friend's name. Most agencies issue personalized certificates of donation.
  
  Support local conservancy organizations by shopping at their stores and websites. Buy locally produced crafts or specialty items such as honey. Choose books written about local conservation issues, or select wildflower mixes blended for specific climate zones.
  
  Check out organizations such as The Theodore Payne Society in California or the Arnold Arboretum in Massachusetts for wildflower mixes and giving opportunities.