Perennial Presents
Give Mom the gift that keeps on giving, season after season
Image courtesy istockphoto
The gift of flowers is a wonderful tribute to Mom on Mother's Day.
However, if you purchase a flowering plant instead of a bouquet, your gift may return, bringing pleasure every year.
Perennial blooms include shrubs such as roses, as well as popular tulip, daffodil and hyacinth bulbs.
But before you envision this blossoming reminder of your love, you have some practical decisions to make. Your gift is more likely to make an appearance next year if you pick plants that are hardy and thrive on Mom's turf.
Daffodils are the most reliable to return if you plant them in well-drained soil that gets full sun, according to P. Allen Smith, television gardening authority and author.
Tulips are also likely to come back next year, though if Mom lives in the South she may see fewer numbers, says Smith, in Little Rock, Ark.
Contrary to what you might assume, cheaper tulip bulbs may do better than expensive ones, according to Smith. He recommends the Darwin red, an economical tulip.
Your mother may love fragrant bulbs, but don't get her hopes up for outdoor planting, say the experts.
Hyacinths may come back, but the plants probably won't be healthy. Freesia and paperwhite narcissus will die in Northern regions, say gardeners.
Roses may respond as delicate annuals or hardy perennials, depending on where you live and the variety you choose, say garden experts.
Miniature roses deserve a place on Mom's indoor windowsill until after the last frost.
Place the rose plant in a bright sunny place and keep it well watered, says Jean Fogle, with the Fort Valley Nursery, Woodstock, Va.
When the weather is reliably warm, bring the rose outdoors as a container plant for the patio or terrace. With careful tending the plant may double in size. Bring miniature roses back inside for winter if you're in a cold climate. These roses may not survive a second season.
For longevity, pick larger rose bushes suited to your region.
Smith recommends the Knockout variety as foolproof and requiring little work.
Hydrangeas, like roses, deliver big, if you choose them for their regional compatibility.
Skip florists' hydrangeas and instead shop in a plant nursery, where the plants are bred for gardens.
The Limelight hydrangea is one of Smith's favorites.
"It blooms most of the summer and in most regions from Maine to Houston. Each year the blooms are exponential," says Smith, author of "Bringing the Garden Indoors" (Clarkson Potter, 2009).
As an additional gesture, help Mom with the gardening.
Plant bulbs outdoors as soon as the blossoms fade, says Smith.
"Allow the foliage to die back naturally if you want the plant to come back. If you cut off the foliage you cut the plant's chances of coming back," he says.
Fogle recommends letting the plant dry out, then storing the firm, unblemished bulbs in the basement for fall planting.
Next Mother's Day you'll either find your previous gift springing up from the garden, or a bare patch where the bulbs were planted.
Unfortunately you have no guarantee.
But, says Fogle: "It's worth a shot. It will only take a little time and effort to see whether they bloom again."
Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"
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