Our Story

Where our story began

The idea for Tree2mydoor first sprouted in 2000. Gareth, our founder, had just moved to London after graduating. With Christmas on the horizon, he wanted to send something meaningful and lasting to his parents back home in Northern Ireland.

A pair of fruit trees seemed perfect. But when he searched online, there was no one delivering trees as gifts. And trying to carry them through the airport? Not exactly festive.

So the seed was planted.

Watch our story take root in the short film below:

From the ground up

Tree2mydoor officially took root in 2003, founded by Gareth Mitchell, an environmental marketing specialist with a clear vision: to restore the meaning of gifting through trees that grow with memory and love.

But this story truly begins in the wild beauty of Northern Ireland.

Raised near the Glens of Antrim, Gareth spent his childhood exploring windswept cliffs and forested valleys with his grandfather, Tom, a local butcher with a quiet soul and a deep connection to the land. Together they gathered dulse by the sea, foraged hazelnuts, blackberries and crafted walking sticks from blackthorn. Those early Tuesdays in nature left their mark.

Years later, Gareth worked in publishing, marketing, and eventually at Groundwork, an environmental charity. But the idea of giving a living tree as a gift - something rooted in both emotion and sustainability 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.”

Tree2mydoor was quietly born in 2002. By 2003, with support from The Prince’s Trust, the website re-launched during National Tree Week. Seven months later, the Ancient Wisdom Tree Gifts collection won a national Gift of the Year Award, celebrated at The Savoy Hotel, London and recognised across the UK. That moment turned a meaningful side project into a brand with purpose.

Since then, Tree2mydoor has helped thousands of people reconnect with nature and each other through living, lasting gifts that grow with love.