Mothers Day Plants
Why not give plant on Mother ‘s Day ?
A flowering plant will give joy many times over compared to a bouquet which has to be discarded in a few days.. Whether it is an indoor plant, and out door plant, or one that can be transplanted into the garden once it has finished flowering indoors, whenever mother sees the plant she will not only smile as she enjoys the flowers or awaits new growth, but will also remember who gave the gift!
Suitable flowering plants to begin indoors to move outdoors later include azaleas, cyclamen and various bulb flowers such as hyacinth and tulips, although tulips and daffodils usually arrive in the cut flower form.
Indoor plants include different types of fern, maidenhair used to be a firm favorite but is not quite so fashionable at present, somewhat like the aspidistra or mother-in-laws-tongue, flowering orchids, in particular the delicate moth orchids that keep their flowers for many weeks.
I have one that gets gets morning sun in my kitchen and is now into its fourth season. There are African violets in every shade from white though pink to the deepest purple, I have a long tray of those on my windowsill next to the orchid, bromeliads “rubber” plants, fruit salad plants with cut out leaves, succulents with strange shapes leaves and many many more. There are prickly cacti if you are brave, cheeky or foolish enough to give one. Unless “mother” is a cacti collector, your gift might receive a bristly response. It would be good to ensure the recipient is not allergic to the gift you intend presenting.
For the garden there is an even bigger range. Roses are all time favorites. From standard roses to accompany you down the path to ramblers that greet you at the door or grow over an arch, carpet roses for ground-cover or my favorites, old-fashioned roses with muted shades and magnificent fragrance. There are rhododendrons, bulbs for spring, bougainvillea for shocking color and so many plants to choose from to suit the climate. Consider also of how much time the recipient will have to take of of more delicate plants, needing regular spraying or pruning, and whether that will be a burden or part of the enjoyment of caring for plants. An idea for hardiness is to walk around the neighborhood and see what sort of plants thrive and then find something different in a similar hardiness.
Fruit trees that can be espaliered to a wall or of a dwarf variety in a pot could make a pleasurable surprise to someone with a smaller garden or in an apartment with a patio. There are fruit with different fruits grafted together which would also make an unusual gift. Apple, pear, nectarine and plum. Apricots and cherry need cold winter to bear fruit well. A lemon tree is always handy. Citrus grown in tubs can be brought inside for winter. Berries and nuts for bigger gardens, pots with herbs for small ones.
Whatever you choose, try and make sure it is something the recipient will find easy to take care of, and gain enjoyment from, for a good length of time and be thinking of you on many future Mother’s Day celebrations.
Gardner & Bloome Rhododendron, Azalea & Camellia Fertilizer
