The picture is from an old album. It reminds me of the days when there was an active seed bank on Facebook. We were part of it and this picture shows the gift of saplings that were taken to one of the meetings to be distributed to other members. Likewise, they too would gift saplings. Unfortunately, many people started demanding money and the group was dismissed later on. The idea of such a seed bank was very innovative at that time and it helped many people to raise awareness about the importance of agriculture and also instill such values in their children and other family members and neighbors.
One of the best gifts in my opinion would be a sapling. It need not be a tree sapling. The sapling that you see here is that of a wild coriander plant. It is healthy and does not need any special care to grow. It can be planted in a pot or on the ground. If it is planted on the ground, it will spread naturally, and within a short time, you will be able to harvest more leaves. The leaves are the produce and one can use them to add flavor and taste to curries or as salad dressings.
The above picture shows a neem sapling. A neem is a small tree that is useful to all. Neem leaves are highly medicinal and can be eaten raw if you can withstand the bitter taste. The roots and the bark are also used as medicine. If you plant a neem tree near your house, the breeze that blows through the neem tree can also be very beneficial to you. Neem is very good for the skin and people use it to prepare soaps, handwash, and other skin care products.
The saplings shown here are just two examples. These can be procured from either nurseries and exchange groups or seed banks. My humble request to all is to think about gifting such saplings or consider such a gift the next time you want to gift something to your dear ones. Just try gifting such a sapling. You can either plant it in your yard or a pot and keep it in your open space inside the house if you do not have open space. A terrace garden is also a good idea. The more green we can make the planet, the more good it is to remove the harm done because of pollution and deforestation.
images - own