Great plants to give as gifts
Ask the Landscapers R. Wayne Mezitt also offers ideas for memorial gardens and cemeteries.
Spring’s rebirth is such an appropriate time for us to recognize and express all the ways we appreciate Mom.
What more personal way to thank her than presenting her with a Mother’s Day gift that mirrors the joys that springtime conveys? Colorful flower bouquets like roses and carnations have been long considered traditional Mother’s Day gifts, but as beautiful as they are, they last only a brief while. Making yours a longer-lasting gift, one that Mom can appreciate every Mother’s Day, is easier than you think.
What plants does Mom particularly favor, and where would she appreciate enjoying her keepsake? Perhaps a fragrant or flowering shrub that blooms each year near her kitchen entryway: lilac, viburnum, hydrangea, azalea, or rose bush. Or a flowering or fruiting tree that continues to grow and prosper, readily viewed out her window. Dogwood, apple, or pear or even a larger tree like oak or maple might be just what Mom has in mind.
Regrettably, as we grow older, our Mom may no longer be with us. Choosing a distinctive planting for remembering her enables us to signify how important she was to us. Can you recall a special flower or plant she particularly enjoyed? If your cemetery allows plants, ask about guidelines for sizes and types. In-ground plantings should be easy to maintain and readily adaptable to the soil and light conditions. Consider slow-growing shrubs, daylilies, hosta, azalea, and colorful groundcovers like phlox and heather. If your cemetery is more of a natural setting, larger plants or natives like rhododendrons, sweet-fern, hydrangea, lowbush blueberry, quince, hibiscus, and even certain trees might be good choices.
Some cemeteries allow plants in containers or planter pots, perhaps imposing time limits on displaying potted plants. Being above ground, these require more consistent attention to ensure they thrive and look attractive. Juniper, sedum, ivy, geranium, vinca, and annuals like marigold and zinnia can be suitable, depending upon the circumstances. If the cemetery staff doesn’t maintain the pots, plan on visiting frequently to ensure they continue to look well tended.
Should your cemetery restrict plantings, an equally appealing plan might be to create a more permanent memorial garden or distinctive planting, perhaps with a special plaque. This could be around your home for your family to enjoy or in a more public location so others can appreciate the space. Some families use this opportunity at Mother’s Day to beautify a particularly popular area near a school, park, or town building. Public gardens, including the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Elm Bank and Tower Hill Botanic Garden offer a variety of appropriate opportunities for memorial plantings for Mom.
Spring is such an inspiring time of year. No matter how you choose to remember Mom on Mother’s Day, celebrating the rebirth of nature is always a rewarding choice.
R. Wayne Mezitt is a third-generation nurseryman, a Massachusetts certified horticulturist, chairman of Weston Nurseries of Hopkinton and Chelmsford, and owner of Hort-Sense, a horticultural advisory business. He is also trustee chairman for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at The Gardens at Elm Bank in Wellesley. Send comments and questions to [email protected].
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