to ask you which plant to buy as housewarming gift?

[whattobuywhattobuy]

Because I haven't a bloody clue!

My friend loves plants but has been living in a tiny space for the past 3 years and has finally at the age of 56 raised to funds to buy a lovely home (hurrah!).

I want to buy him a plant. A fairly large, interesting, beautiful plant.

Any suggestions? He's a busy bloke so ideally something that doesn't require to be watered 12 times a day

Many thanks!

Ponytail palm? And I'm not green fingered at all

That’s a lovely idea. I’m not a gardener but would imagine soil type, which aspect the garden is on - north facing etc would be a consideration along with which part of the country he is in in terms of winter temps. How about a lavender which generally does well in any sunny aspect? Or a rock rose? I hope someone with more gardening know how comes by to advise

A rose bush? A 'Patio' or miniature rose in a pot if space is tight.
If space is no problem it'd look at David Austen English roses which are beautiful and generally fragrant. Pick one that is repeat or continuous flowering.
If he has a wall or fence or pergola, try a climbing rose. There are so many you'll be spoilt for choice.

indoor or outdoor?

A live one ?

I have got a penchant for terrariums at the moment

Does he have pets? That's a big factor.

Aloe Vera helps with air quality.

Indoor plant: aspidistra. He is likely to be busy with moving in etc and this will take some neglect.

Outdoor: I love apple and cherry trees. If he has a huge garden, monkey puzzle trees are awesome. Not one for a small garden though!

I'd buy a cactus because they're almost impossible to kill 😂

Peace Lily is great for indoor. They're hard to kill and look nice. Also, split-leaf philodendron.

Ooh sorry I should've said. Indoor definitely! Thanks for all the suggestions so far!