It's easy to pick up a bottle of Champagne, box of artisanal chocolates or a gorgeous, if short-lived, bouquet and be done with the whole Valentine's Day thing. But don't think (s)he can't tell when your heart and maybe a little soul went into your gift selection. How much of an impression could you make with a beautiful Valentine's Day gift tree? - delivered and planted, of course.
If he or she likes to play in the dirt, we think our Pair O' Cherries makes a lasting Valentine's gift that will grow more beautiful year after year. Many people are surprised to learn that we can grow amazing cherries here in Southern California. It's true. The Minnie Royal and Royal Lee cherries have very low winter chilling needs and will produce sweet, juicy fruit in late May or early June here in San Diego county. They need a pollinizer, so we plant them in pairs. See them under "Garden Trees" from our home page.
According to mythencyclopedia.com, cherries can symbolize fertility, merrymaking, and festivity. In Japan, where cherry blossoms are the national flower, cherries represent beauty, courtesy, and modesty. The ancient Chinese regarded the fruit as a symbol of immortality. One Chinese legend tells of the goddess Xi Wang Mu, in whose garden the cherries of immortality ripen every thousand years. Because cherry wood was thought to keep evil spirits away, the Chinese placed cherry branches over their doors on New Year's Day and carved cherry wood statues to stand guard in front of their homes.