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Business & Tech

Gifts for Mom: How to Pick the Perfect Plant

What do plant-loving moms really want for Mother's Day? Patio flowers with exotic fragrances, trendy vertical gardens, a 'greens' garden, and a great big pile of mulch with all hands on deck.

If you’re one of the countless people who buy flowers for mom on Mother’s Day, good for you … and great for mom! There’s nothing like a big bouquet to brighten the day.

Area gardening experts suggest taking mom’s love of flowers a few steps further by picking up a plant for her that she can enjoy, perhaps as a centerpiece on Mother’s Day but then on her patio or deck as an added adornment this summer.

And while plants in pots are great, so are blooms that brim from the new vertical, wall trays. Consider giving mom gardening tools or even a big pile of mulch. Seriously, some mothers have reported that one of their best gifts ever was a pile of mulch and some extra hands for spreading it!

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Here are some plant- and garden-enthusiast gift ideas that are sure to make mom’s smile as bright as a hibiscus bloom.

Can’t-Go-Wrong Flowers and Plants

• Wall Flowers. The folks at The Home Depot are excited about their new vertical gardens that you can hang on a patio wall, or front porch rail. “Choose mom’s favorite flowers to make it extra special,” said Jennifer King, senior public relations manager for The Home Depot. 

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• Greens Keeper. A 48-by-96-inch cedar raised garden bed at The Home Depot (greens come separately) is just the ticket for moms who like to get their greens and enjoy fresh, fresh, fresh!

• Sweet Tooth. in Dexter has the perfect gift for moms who enjoy a little color in their garden. Try the cotton candy bouquet, which features pretty pink roses, spray roses and miniature carnations, white button spray chrysanthemums, lavender limonium and green pittosporum.

• Color Her World. Shane Pliska, president of in West Bloomfield, says to keep your mom’s favorite colors in mind when shopping. At his extensive plant facility, a veritable rainbow of blooms await, from pink and blue hydrangea plants to yellow, orange and red hibiscus to white jasmine. Also charming: Pink mandevilla vines on a trellis.

•  Fragrant Finds. It’s hard to top the scent of jasmine, said Zach Pliska, retail manager at Planterra. “We have tabletop-sized jasmine plants but also large ones in 14-inch pots that look great on patios.” Zach also suggested Planterra’s white gardenias as a dependable fragrant plant. They range in size from 10-inch to 14-inch pots.

Other Items for the Flower Lover and Gardener

• Let Her Be Choosy. Consider a gift card from a gardening center, such as The Home Depot.

• Pile It On. Nationally known gardening expert Melinda Myers, author of The Michigan Lawn Guide and host of Melinda’s Garden Moments, which airs on more than 100 TV and radio stations throughout the U.S. and Canada, says many moms dream about not having to spread compost or mulch. “Give your mom a load of compost — and help spread it,” Myers suggested. “I have had several women tell me this was one of their favorite gifts.”

• Lightweight Go-To Tool. Make her time spent in the yard/garden easier with a lightweight lithium ion garden tools from The Home Depot. The Sun Joe Hedger is cordless and great for hedging, grass trims and more. 

• Daytripper. Plan an outing with mom to a local public garden, suggested Myers.

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