Dilemma!

First dilemma is your husband. How very mean spirited he is being and inconsiderate to you. He therefore deserves no consideration.

Second dilemma, solved. Put them in pots and enjoy them. Then tell husband to get over himself.

Tell the giver

Pieris and camellia are lovely plants that do really well if planted in pots of ericacious soil. I would love it if somebody went out of their way to give me either of those more expensive plants.
I definitely would not be tellI guess the giver they were unwanted.
So glad I chose to live alone and don’t have to take any notice of any ungrateful other half!

No problem keeping them in pots, they take years to reach full size even in the ground. Just remember to water them regularly.

How about keeping one and giving the other 2 away. That way you can enthuse and show her the one you have planted/potted.

Camaelias are ok in pots. My daughter's is about 9 years old now. It's really quite lovely and not very big.

It’s difficult when we are given something that isn’t quite suitable. You will have to buy three big pots from the sound of it, so the gift ends up costing you extra.

However, I do think that it is hurtful if you were to tell your sister that her present is unwanted, for whatever reason, and then just give it away, no matter where to.

If it were me, I would buy the pots and give them a go in the front garden. If they don’t survive, you’ll still have the containers to re-use, and you’ll have done your best.

He now wants me to tell her we don't want them.

I don't think I would react very nicely to being told this. He doesn't sound very considerate of your feelings.

Can’t your husband compromise a bit. Does he understand how awkward this is for you?
Don’t you have a say about what goes in the garden?

Surely there’s a solution that you and your husband can find together? Can the shrubs be planted and pruned back to prevent them growing too large?

I would be hurt if I did something that I thought was nice to thank my sister and she handed back my gifts.

Definitely keep and put in pots if necessary. Dont risk upsetting your DS. It is not worth it!

Agree with Bluebelle.

Yes you can grow them in pots and if they don't do so well, you can always offer them back to her if she has green fingers. We often buy others things we would like ourselves.
I was going to suggest keeping at least one.
I love getting surprise gifts although I suppose I have been known to donate them to a raffle or a charity shop if I think the donor will never know or I really can't think when I will ever use the thing.

Both those types of plants can be grown in pots.

Thanks for your replies. They're a cametlia and two pieris.

I was interested in the answers to this, as at the weekend we attended the birthday party of an elderly relative (we don´t live in the UK and are out of lockdown here). She was gifted several houseplants, one of them an orchid, we drove her home and she worried all the time about what she would do with them, she lives on her own, spends extended periods at her son´s and the whole summer abroad. I do wish that people would think before making a gift of a living thing, animals go without saying, but also plants.

Agree with BlueBelle

Definitely in big planters my friends got a tree in a big planter

It would be very unkind to give them away Whether to a charity or not she bought them for YOU i d be very hurt if I’d bought someone something I sought out especially for them to say thank you and had it given away

I think Sussexborn's idea is brilliant. Thank your sister effusively for the plants, tell her you love them, but sadly don't have the room for them to settle in and spread, however it would make you really happy if you could give them to the local hospice so that many more people could enjoy them?

I plant all sorts in pots, including eucalyptus. Restricting the roots tends to Bonsai them. Give it a go, you can always prune them to size. What shrubs are they?

Donate them to the local hospice or similar then thank your sister and, if she visits regularly, explain why they weren’t suitable.