Mother’s Day is a week away and if you’re like a lot of us, we sometimes have a difficult time coming up with ideas for mom, or that special person who fills that role.
Frankly, I don’t think you can go wrong with a gift for the garden.
It could be a plant, a new container to pot up, a piece of art or an accessory for the garden, high quality pruners or other tools, waterproof shoes or boots, a rain jacket. Other ideas?
Basil, parsley and thyme in a pretty pot. Photo courtesy Burpee.com
Foodie mom
Give her a container of herbs already potted up or plant your own. Parsley, basil and thyme always make a good, useful mix and are easy to grow. Sow a mix of seeds of lettuce, arugula and other savory greens in a pot or window box. These seeds germinate and grow quickly. Plant a few ever-blooming strawberry plants in a strawberry pot, window box or hanging basket for fresh fruit off and on all summer.
Enroll the two of you in a cooking class or take a seminar on using herbs in summer dishes.
Girly Steel’s Bursting Allium. Photo courtesy GirlySteel.com
Artistic mom
There’s a lot of garden art out there, some of it good and a lot of it bad. Select a piece that fits the style of the home or garden and mom’s personality. The upcoming Broad Ripple Art Fair would be a good place to go with mom to see what catches her eye. Check out local artist Girly Steel’s (Joanie Drizen) affordable metal sculptures (girlysteel.com), which are made for landscapes and can be found at some of the best gardens here and elsewhere.
Certainly a new container, perhaps one made of frost-tolerant ceramic, would add a bit of artistic flair to the garden. Since it will be pretty (and heavy), place it where it can be decorated and enjoyed for the four seasons.
Fiskars PowerGear2 pruners. Photo courtesy Fiskars.com
DIY mom
The right tool for the job is the mantra of any DIYer. When it comes to gardening, there’s been a huge improvement in hand tools, such as pruners. Fiskars PowerGear2 pruners (http://bit.ly/2ENIE1E) uses technology to put three times the power behind each squeeze of the handles. Makes pruning or snipping plants a breeze.
Waterproof shoes or boots from Keen, Merrell or Muck make it more comfortable when working in mud or a wet landscape. And you can’t beat the Duluth Trading Company’s Heirloom Garden Pants or Dry on the Fly Convertible Pants for comfort and usefulness. Can you say pockets?
Have a load of mulch, compost or well-rotted manure delivered, and give mom a card that promises your help in spreading it. Hire a lawn care company to do her lawn for the summer.
Homegrown and Handpicked joins Carol Michel’s Potted and Pruned.
Book-reader mom
Indianapolis author Carol J. Michel (MayDreamsGardens.com) has released her newest collection of humorous and thoughtful essays, Homegrown and Handpicked: A Year in a Gardening Life (Gardenangelist Books, 2018). A companion to her 2017 Potted and Pruned: Living a Gardening Life, Michel said these essays might help you discover an eccentric gardener among your family and friends, or even in yourself. Available in paperback or hard cover at bookstores, her website and Amazon.