Say I love you with these lovely living gifts that go easy on the planet.

I love love and the romantic gestures that come with it, so the rant to follow is not borne from a dark heart or some Grinch-ian resentment, I promise. But this: It's estimated that sending 100 million roses – the number of roses American will give their Valentines this year – produces around 9,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions between field and florist. (The average American household has a carbon footprint of 48 metric tons a year, notes The Washington Post in an article on the topic.)

That hefty footprint comes courtesy of the fact that 80 percent of the flowers are imported, most grown in energy-guzzling greenhouses and drenched with toxic chemicals – and once cut, require a long journey under refrigeration to arrive at your local florist. And for what? To land on your sweetheart's table for a week before heading to the landfill where they will face a long slow decline, emitting methane all the way. See? I'm totally a romantic!

Anyway. If you want to not participate in all of that, you can get sustainably sourced flowers – which is great (see more here: Show your love with earth-friendly flowers). But you can also jump off of the cliche wagon and do something a little different too. Which is where this list comes into play.

1. A Bouquet of Herbs

Beautiful and unexpected, less costly than roses – and won't be tossed in a week. Fresh lavender and rosemary (and whatever else your heart desires) can all be dried and doled out throughout the year for cooking or using around the house.

2. Moss in a Bottle

Because a mossy micro ecosystem is a wonder to behold – and this one comes in a recycled wine bottle, giving it an extra eco-twist. (Moss Terrarium Bottle, $38)

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