Crabtree & Evelyn have some wonderful offers on at the moment.  I was browsing there today, and came across more info on the history of Crabtree & Evelyn.  It's fascinating, especially if you're into products which embrace the riches of the world.  My mother and I have been giving each other Crabtree & Evelyn products for years, most often as little gifts, perhaps as a welcome or as thank you.

From small acorns great trees grow... The company was founded 40 years ago by Cyrus Harvey. It started out as a small, family run business specialising in fine soaps from around the world to an international company with over 500 stores worldwide. It's known for its fragrances, fine foods & gifts, all of which come beautifully packaged.

Crabree & Evelyn...inspired by 17th century naturalist, diarist & conservationist John Evelyn

Crabtree & Evelyn's product ranges are made with fruit, flower and plant essences, and the company is inspired by John Evelyn, who was a 17th century Englishman.  A naturalist and conservationist, he travelled Europe experiencing wonderful cultures & natural environments.  He was a tremendous diarist - The Diary of John Evelyn is available from Amazon . His estate Sayes Court was planted with elm trees and his gardens were the wonder of the age. In fact there's a campaign to save the site where this wonderful designer and diarist created his garden, the campaigners calling to save what they describe as a "crucial piece of national heritage". 

Evelyn's motto "Explore everything.  Keep the best," has inspired the Crabtree & Evelyn throughout its history.  If you're looking for a gift idea for a garden lover, you could delve into the history of gardening with books such as The Country Kitchen Garden 1600 - 1950 , A Passion for Trees: The Legacy of John Evelyn by Maggie Campbell-Culver , The Renaissance Gardens of England  and The Therapeutic Garden . These are all available from Amazon.

The company's icon is the Crab Apple Tree, and it's native to Britain. The fruit is a bit saw, but when raw it's perfect for making traditional jam and jelly. The Crab Apple represents beauty and was used in the early home apothecary or still room.