Our Story

Where our story began

The idea for Tree2mydoor first took root back in 2000. Gareth, our founder, had just graduated and was living in London, while his parents were back home in Northern Ireland. He wanted to send them something special for Christmas and came up with the idea of fruit trees for their garden, but quickly realised carrying them through the airport wasn’t going to work. When he searched online for a simple solution, there wasn’t one. So, the seed of an idea was planted. Watch our story unfold in the short film below.

From the ground up

Tree2mydoor was founded in 2003 by Gareth Mitchell, an environmental marketing professional with a vision to bring greener, more meaningful gifts to life. But the story starts much earlier - in the wild beauty of Larne, Northern Ireland. Raised among the Glens of Antrim and windswept coastal paths, Gareth spent Tuesdays adventuring with his grandfather, Tom McKeen, a singing butcher and quiet naturalist. Together, they foraged for dulse by the sea, picked hazelnuts in hidden valleys and crafted blackthorn walking sticks. These early memories shaped Gareth’s deep connection to the land and his passion for protecting it.

After university in Middlesbrough, Gareth moved to London, working in marketing and publishing before returning to Manchester to take on a digital role with the environmental charity Groundwork. But the idea of a tree as a gift; something rooted in meaning, memory and love, kept calling him back.

“The more the idea developed, the more it asked of me,” Gareth recalls. “Eventually, I took the leap and handed in my notice.”

In 2002, Tree2mydoor was quietly launched. A year later, the company officially formed with support from The Prince’s Trust and its first website went live during National Tree Week. Just one year after that, Tree2mydoor won a national Gift of the Year award for its Ancient Wisdom Tree Gifts, celebrated at The Savoy Hotel and recognised across the UK media.

That moment helped take Tree2mydoor from a side project with heart to a company with purpose. And we’ve been helping people give living, lasting gifts ever since.