Don’t know what to get Mom for her special day? Here’s 5 ideas

Published 1:30 am Thursday, May 11, 2017

Oh, the eternal question: What should we get Mom for her once-a-year special day? (Knowing that no matter what it is, it will never be commensurate to all the love and sacrifice she has given us.)

Here are some ideas that might save you, if you are still in a quandary as to what get her.

Hanging basket. First off, Mom’s love is everlasting, and there is nothing I can recommend that will withstand the test of time like she does. But a beautiful hanging basket (while not everlasting) will bring her at least five months of joy, assuming that she keeps it well-fed.

Herb and vegetable starts. Not as glamorous but perfect for the practical mother, try a collection of herbs for cooking or some vegetables that she could plant in the raised planters that Dad agreed to build last year but never got around to.

Perennials. Perennials are forever just like Mom. Why not present her with a gift certificate toward the purchase of some perennials for a cutting garden? The choices are limitless and Mom will want to shop several times throughout the spring season to select her favorites. Before she picks them out, you can do all the work of getting the soil ready with organic compost and fertilizer.

Your reward will come later this year when she has you over for a homecooked meal and displays her gifts in a vase on the dinner table. You can pat yourself on the back knowing that you made it all possible. Plus, you can add to the collection every year. It’s a no brainer.

Garden accessories. Bird baths and feeders, benches and fountains are essential elements in any garden. Mom likes to work in the garden, but she also likes to pause and reflect, and an inviting new bench helps make that possible. So does a fountain with the soothing sound of running water.

And what mother doesn’t enjoy the sound of our feathered friends? Birdbaths and feeders will lure these avian vocalists into her garden for weeks and months of enjoyment with very little effort on her part. Add a few shrubs for refuge and nesting and — presto chango — she has a backyard sanctuary.

Roses and clematis. If mom is the rose type, more than likely she is also the clematis type. They seem to go hand in hand, so if you buy her one you should really buy her the other, along with some sort of trellis/obelisk/arbor structure to grow the clematis or climbing rose on.

These structures will also help to articulate the garden space, so she can have a “room” to enjoy. This could be a perfect space where a small bistro table or chimes will elevate her consciousness and allow her to move past all the pain and suffering you caused her during your adolescent years.

So, you have many choices, it is now up to you. Go forth and honor your mother and remember that no matter what you get her, she will love you unconditionally and forever.

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached online at info@sunnysidenursery.net.