Romantic outdoor plant gift advice, please?

[BeckywiththeGoodHare]

Disclaimer: I am whatever the opposite of green-fingered is (black-thumbed?) but I'm trying because my DP has a fantastic garden, and I'd appreciate the advice of more experienced gardeners!

I'd like to give him a plant to celebrate our first anniversary this weekend. It feels like a particularly appropriate present - growth, flowering, something beautiful coming from liberal applications of horseshit, etc - and despite being rubbish with plants, I do love them. We're planning to move house (and move in together) within the next year or so, so it needs to be something container-friendly we could take with us.

I was thinking a rose (ideally with an appropriate name) or a small fruit tree of some kind? Do either of those work, in large enough containers? We're in the Midlands so climate is average-to-damp. Obviously I'm aware of the potential for symbolic doooooom if the poor plant withers and dies, so something robust would be good.

Any suggestions very gratefully received!

It's a lovely idea, but TBH fraught with difficulty - he might not like that particular plant - or it may not suit the possible situation/possible situation in your new house.

It depends how fussy he is. If he's not that fussy, there are lots of roses (for example) designed to be given as presents - so 'Golden Wedding' etc - have a look on some rose sites to see if any names chime. If the garden has roses already that could be a way to go, as he obviously likes them, and roses grow in containers for a little while.

Has he ever given any hint of what he'd love? (My yearned-for plant would be a truffle tree - but I have never mentioned this to DH)

Ah, so you can grow roses in a container for a bit... excellent!

I don't think there's any plant in particular he's yearning for (when I say he's a keen gardener I mean he regularly scarifies his lawn and throws chicken pellets on it, not that he's on the NGS list and shows people around his borders - it's all relative to my three scared tomato plants). It's a pretty country cottage garden, with lovely wisteria, clematis, hollyhocks, etc, and some decked areas with hostas in containers - I suppose I was thinking about something that would be fine in a big pot for a while and then be planted in our new place. You know, in a sort of 'we're planting new roots together' kind of way?

although now you mention truffles, we are both quite foodie...

Now since it's for an anniversary, you really want something that's in flower NOW I think!

I recommend Syringa meyeri 'Palibin''. It's a very small leaved Korean lilac and I would buy it as a pair of clipped standards, i.e. with a long trunk and then a lollipop of a head. It has lovely, small green leaves that form a tight topiary top, and the most knock-out waxy fragrant flowers (a much nicer smell that the more common lighter purple, big leaved lilacs). Mine are just starting to come into flower. Placed in a couple of matching pots, they would look stunning.

an alternative might be some garden art? Then you don't have to worry about it dying or being in a pot.

Like a stone pig (not really) or a tin peacock or....

I love lilac - that's a great suggestion. And looking at the plant description, it's rather appropriate for him and me that it flowers twice, later on in the season. :)

THIS IS FOR JAY-Z ISN'T IT?!

at stone pig.

Not pampas grass.
Sorry. :)

A small fruit tree that can stay in a pot?

Any of these any good?
www.classicroses.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=anniversary&order=name&dir=asc

I've just looked up truffle trees. They look amazing but you have to wait five to seven years before you get the first whiff of any truffles. Which, I guess, is a positive message to be sending out, relationship wise...

Ha! Yes, why is no one directing me to a lemon tree?! Humph.

That Peter Beales Anniversary Rose looks perfect, thanks, TheReturn.

Bear in mind that full-sized oak are BIG. Might not be a problem if you're moving to a mansion with parkland, but too large for most suburban gardens. Hazels can be coppiced to keep them in check but are still quite large... and I'm not sure of the symbolism of chopping your anniversary plant down to the ground!!

OMG, a full-sized oak... my brain didn't quite make that connection. Thanks for pointing it out!

A smaller tree might work though! It is a lovely idea!

Look at David Austin roses. Always good quality. Someone does produce a rose call Anniversary I think.
Or you could look up the meaning of flowers and get something related to the meaning and make a gift tag to go with it.

I bought a Rosa Scepter'd Isle for a container by my front door, it was the one that was on both mine and and my husband's favourites list within the 'container friendly' David Austin roses... It's very beautiful and smells amazing...
www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/specific-situations/pots-containers

The Korean lilac sounds a great idea too!

Oops, inspired by talk of roses and standard lilacs, I seem to have bought a standard Iceberg rose for the front garden.

Hello! Just to say thank you again for all the advice and great suggestions - in the end, I found a David Austin small shrub rose with an appropriate name (which I won't mention ) and a really massive nice mirror-glazed pot to put it in for the time being. DP and I planted it up together - I also bought the appropriate rose/shrub compost and he shovelled in chicken manure, water retaining crystals, etc, etc, etc, etc - and it was a lovely moment. He was touched I'd actually done some research!

Obvs now I want to get the tree Palibin lilacs too...