I recently potted up some spider plant pups that I was planning to gift to friends looking for their first plant. One friend specifically asked for a spider plant, but I knew she wouldn't take care of it properly, and it would end up suffering a slow death. Instead of being honest, I made an excuse about another friend wanting it and suggested that I had a 'runt' at home that needed special care. Now I'm questioning whether I did the right thing. Have you ever regretted giving away a plant to someone who wouldn't care for it? How would you navigate gifting a plant to someone when you're uncertain of their ability to care for it?
2 Answers
I’d probably just give the plant away with a little care instruction card. It's okay if they don’t keep it alive, sometimes people need to learn through experience. For something hard to care for, I’d use humor to highlight the situation. Like, 'You'd kill this poor thing in seconds, I can't let it go to a funeral!' That way, it feels light-hearted while still getting the message across.
Oh, absolutely! I just had to take back a Christmas cactus from a colleague. No hard feelings, though! They weren’t really taking care of it, and it felt better for both of us. Did they come to you with issues, or did you notice the plant struggling first?