20 ideas for Mother’s Day in Western New York

patio pots from Mischler's
You don’t have to have a garden to enjoy flowers outside. These patio pots are available from Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses. Photo courtesy Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses

by Connie Oswald Stofko

Mother’s Day is coming up this Sunday, May 10, and you want something that will make your mother smile. Since no two mothers are the same, we’ve come up with a long list of ideas– I counted 20– for things that might please Mom on her special day.

There are ideas for traditional gifts, practical gifts,  quirky gifts and things to do together.

What do you think makes a great Mother’s Day gift? Please leave a comment below.

Find a traditional gift

Monet flower arrangement from Mischler's
Monet flower arrangement can be ordered from Mischler’s. Photo courtesy Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses

Flower arrangements.  Everyone likes flowers, and floral arrangements are a traditional gift for Mother’s Day. If you can’t be with your mother on Mother’s Day, they can be delivered. You can order online from Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses.

hanging basket from Lockwood's
These shade baskets from Lockwood’s are colorful. Photo courtesy Lockwood’s Greenhouses

Hanging baskets. These can brighten up any garden, large or small. These unique hanging basket for the shade are from Lockwood’s Greenhouses They are  colorful and will brighten up a shady area.

We are having some warm days, but Teresa Buchanan, general manager at Lockwood’s, reminds us to watch the nighttime temperatures. These baskets can’t be left outside overnight until the nighttime temperatures are over 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Until then, keep these hanging baskets in a hallway or unheated garage at night.

Patio pots. Even if your mother doesn’t have a lot of room to garden or isn’t able to do strenuous gardening work, she can enjoy patio pots from Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses. These are filled with frost tolerant plants, so you can enjoy them outside now and through the summer.

See the photo at the top of the page.

geraniums from Goodman's Farm Market
Geraniums don’t need a lot of watering and they come in many colors. Photo courtesy Goodman’s Farm Market

Geraniums. There’s a lot to love about geraniums.

“They’re a tough plant,” said Ray Crawley, store manager at Goodman’s Farm Market. “They can take the summer sun. They like to dry out between waterings, and they’re more forgiving than other other plants when you miss a watering.”

He noted that they’re often used in cemeteries because they don’t need to be watered often.

They’re very colorful and, if you deadhead them (pull off the dead flowers), they will bloom all summer.

In addition to the smaller geraniums, Goodman’s also carries bush geraniums and standard geraniums. The bush geraniums can get to be 30 inches tall. The standard geraniums are cultivated to look like a tree with a single stem that flowers at the top. The standard geraniums can be 36 inches tall.

 

 

Find gifts that are a little bit different

clematis Bijou courtesy Hertiage Perennials
Clematis Bijou. Photo courtesy Hertiage Perennials

Clematis. I was surprised when Jen Weber, retail manager at Mike Weber Greenhouses, suggested clematis as a Mother’s Day gift, but now I understand why she singled out this flowering perennial.

Many people may be familiar with the vining type of clematis, but this perennial is finding new popularity because there are lots more varieties to choose from.

There are dwarf varieties, such as Filagree and Bijou, that can be grown as a ground cover to cover up a bare spot or can be used in a hanging basket.

There are bush varieties, including Serious Black.

And if you want to use a vining type, you can be creative, Weber said. I love her simple idea for making a flowering topiary. Start with an ugly bush that you don’t like and allow a Prairie Travelers Joy clematis to vine up it. It’s a native plant, so it’s low maintenance, too. You don’t have to water it much or do much of anything with it.

clematis Serious Black courtesy Heritage Perennials
Clematis Serious Black. Photo courtesy Heritage Perennials

And then there’s Sweet Autumn, which gets fragrant white flowers and blooms in fall.

“When everything else is finishing up, this one is in its glory,” Weber said.

 

Find practical gifts for the garden

gardening hats from Lockwood's in Hamburg
Gardening hats can help protect you from the sun and look great, too. Photo courtesy Lockwood’s Greenhouses
trowel courtesy Radius Garden
Trowels with handles in bright colors won’t get lost. Photo courtesy Radius Garden

Hats. Not only do these hats help to protect you from the sun, they look darling! Don’t forget about gardening gloves– Everyone can use another pair. See a variety at Lockwood’s.

Trowels. Lockwood’s has trowels from Radius Garden that are ergonomically designed, so it can be easier for your mother to dig. But what’s even more appealing about them is that the handles are painted in bright neon colors so they don’t get lost when you set them down. I once set my green trowel down and didn’t find it again until the next spring!

 

Pansy with gift certificate. If you think your mother would like to purchase plants for her garden, but you don’t know what she might like, you can buy a brightly colored pansy for now, accompanied by a Mischler’s gift certificate that she can use later. If you can’t be there on Mother’s Day, you can have it delivered.

pansy with gift certificate from Mischler's
A pansy can brighten Mom’s day now, and she can use the Mischler’s gift certificate later. Photo courtesy Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses

 

Find decorative gifts for the garden

wind chimes from Goodman's Farm Market
Music of the Spheres wind chimes add beautiful sound to your garden. Photo courtesy Goodman’s Farm Market

Wind chimes. Music of the Spheres wind chimes are meticulously handcrafted and precision-tuned. They sound beautiful! They’re built to last and are made in the USA. Find them at Goodman’s Farm Market.

Yoga frog. These statues add charm to any garden, but they’re especially appealing to mothers who collect frogs. You can find them depicting several hobbies, including yoga, biking and, of course, gardening. Find them at Goodman’s.

yoga frog from Goodman's Farm Market in Niagara Falls
These delightful figurines add charm to the garden. Photo courtesy Goodman’s Farm Market

Watering can planter. Add a pop of color with this watering can planter. You can order it online or buy it in Mischler’s shop.

pansy watering can from Mischler's
This planter adds a splash of color. Photo courtesy Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses

 

 

 

 

 

Birdbaths. These birdbaths add a sculptural element to your garden, but they’re also practical because they can attract birds to your garden. Another nice thing about these birdbaths from Lockwood’s is that they are made in the USA by Burley Clay. Lockwood’s is offering 20 percent off birdbaths from Wednesday, May 6 through Mother’s Day.

Burley birdbaths from Lockwood's
These birdbaths add sculptural beauty to the garden. Photo courtesy Lockwood’s Greenhouses

 

Do something together

Fairy garden workshop from Mischler's in Williamsville
Spend time with Mom by making fairy gardens together at Mischler’s. Photo courtesy Mischler’s Florist and Greenhouses

Help out in the garden. Little kids think that the only thing that counts as a gift is a tangible item. They may not understand that an action can be treasured just as much.

Trust me, helping in the garden can really count as a gift. Whether you help with weeding or can do some digging or heavy lifting, it will be appreciated.

Visit the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. Moms enjoy strolling through the lovely exhibits at the Botanical Gardens with their youngsters and with their adult children, too.

Take a class together. It’s always nice to have something to look forward to. Planning to take a class together is an especially good idea if you can’t get together on Mother’s Day.

Make your own fairy garden during workshops to be held at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 20 and 21 at Mischler’s, 118 South Forest Rd., Williamsville. Call 632-1290 to reserve a space.

The Botanical Gardens has lots of classes, too.

There are lots of activities coming up. Check out all the happenings on our Events Page.

Have a happy Mother’s Day!

6 Comments on “20 ideas for Mother’s Day in Western New York

  1. Beth, do I have a personal favorite? I’ve been thinking about it for awhile and may have to echo Carole’s comment. I would be happy with any one of them.

  2. All good ideas. It was nice they sent you images or you would have been doing a lot of traveling. lol.

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