This Year, Give Mom a New Twist on Garden Favorites

You can never go wrong with traditional containers with pink and white or red and white flowers to delight mom on Mother’s Day.  But this year, you could step beyond the conventional container.

It’s taken awhile for growers to develop the black petunia, but this year you can find them at retailers.  If mom has a flair for drama, she might appreciate the Black-tie Combo available at many garden centers.  You can create your own combo, too, using just black and white petunias.  Or add some red or yellow petunias for a bright spot of color.

Also new in 2011 is the sun-patiens.  Unlike the impatiens plants we’ve enjoyed for years on shaded porches and patios, this one grows in the sun!  If mom has a south or west-facing porch or patio, now she can enjoy a container of impatiens that won’t die of sunstroke.

Trendy décor finally moved beyond forest green, so there are now many colors in outdoor furnishings.  Think about matching a patio planter to mom’s color scheme.

Take a lesson from the monochromatic, pre-made hanging baskets, like Purple Cleopatra now at garden centers, that give bold one-color accents.  This one features purple vein petunias combined with verbena and calibrachoa in other shades of purple.  Your mom’s fave may not be purple, but you get the idea.  Working around one color is easy to do.

Adding accents of white flowers, like white geraniums and petunias, as well as green foliage will bring different interest to a one-color pot or basket.

If mom loves to cook, give her a container or two with herbs and veggies.

If she’s a tea drinker, plant some tasty mint in a teapot for a fun gift that also lets her pick and brew her own fresh tea.  Besides traditional flavors of spearmint or peppermint, other flavor sensations can be found in orange mint and even chocolate mint.  Not only is mint good tea, it’s also a great garnish for fruit.

Balance out showy containers with some down-to-earth useful items.   Tuck a new trowel, package of fertilizer, gardening gloves or some seed packets among the plants.

Or get even more practical with the gift of help for her yard.  Provide a service for pruning her plants, creating a raised veggie garden or mowing the lawn all season.

In the realm of growing and giving, there are many lovely and useful options.

(c) 2011 Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado.  All rights reserved.

Black Velvet Geranium

White Geranium

Calibrachoa Mix

Verbena Mix