Here's a strange one. Olive tree, do you grow it for its looks or for the fruit. If a seller asks you, tell him you want it for the fruit. Then there is no VAT, we saved the customer a fortune on a £1,300 tree.
That's interesting. Being nosey, I looked up the relevant VAT legislation. Seems you could get away with most things if for food!
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageLibrary_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000133&propertyType=document