Houseplants make the perfect gift as they are natural, long lasting and beautiful
(23/02/2010)

Over the years, it can be difficult to know what to get for the number one lady in your life on her special day, Mother’s Day – but you can never go wrong with gorgeous cut flowers and potted plants. Add a personalised touch, and you have an even more thoughtful, memorable gift.

Lisianthus posy

Although they are available all year round, delicate pastel Lisianthus are a perfect Mother’s Day gift for a small gesture (or small person to give). The blooms come in so many colours, you can make a grand gesture with a big bunch, too!

Lisianthus have several flowers per stem, which you can cut off and turn into a miniature posy. Take a stalk or two, and snip off the shorter side stems with their fat, coloured flowers. You can cut off a few of the buds, too, for variation. Bunch these side stems together and tie with coloured string. You can even add a twist of coloured grass or foliage (snip one from a houseplant if you like) and fix with a pin.
Place this in a home-made frame and cover with cellophane, for a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift or card.

Heavenly hydrangea

Houseplants make the perfect gift for something that’s fresh, natural, long lasting and beautiful. Hydrangea are a great gift for Mother’s Day – they come in pastel shades of pink, blue, lavender and white, have a blowsy mop head for the fashionable vintage look, and can even be placed on the patio in the summer months. You can add your own creative flair with colourful and personalised wrapping, a pretty pot, ribbons and decoration.

Tip: florists often decorate flowers and plants with decorative (fake) butterflies – simply nestle them in the blooms for a short-cut to professional flower styling!

There’s nothing like lazy afternoon tea on a spring afternoon, to make you feel relaxed and glamorous. Set the table with a feast of cakes, sandwiches and tea in pots with cute cups – and of course, beautiful blooms to set the scene, especially for Mum to enjoy afterwards!

Hyacinth heaven

There’s nothing like the scent of hyacinth to accompany a cup of fragrant jasmine or Darjeeling tea and make Mum feel like a million dollars. The scent is captured in famous perfumes such as Anais Anais, Giorgio, Paris, Safari, Envy and Chloe. Why not treat Mum to the real thing to accompany your home-made high tea – who needs the Ritz when you can have hyacinths? With flowers in a huge range of colours there will be one to match your mother’s eyes (bright blue), her hair (golden yellow, white), her rosy cheeks (blush pink) or even her sofa.

Kalanchoe Queen

Make Mum feel like the Queen Bee with a longer-lasting memento to remind her for months to come of that lovely afternoon you spent together. Kalanchoes have thick, fleshy leaves and pretty, starry flowers - and are really easy to care for. All Mum needs to do is water them every two weeks, because the water gets stored in their leaves. Great for not-so green fingers. Pop the plant in a feminine bag that coordinates with the blooms, for the perfect plant wrapping, decoration and transportation, all in one!

If Mum is bold and bright, then you can make something really special for her with brightly coloured blooms.

Calla and gerbera surprise

Callas have a large fleshy petal wrapped in a cone form around a central ‘spathe’. Pop in a sunny coloured gerbera flower into the centre of the cone. The green stem of the gerbera can then be tied to the calla stem with vivid string. Tip: Lots of these colourful creations look fabulous all tied together in a bunch; or make just one to decorate a parcel or tie onto a greetings card.

Rocking roses

Roses have long been seen as the emblem of love and appreciation, with pink roses being a favourite choice for special Mums. Roses are a very popular gift for Mother’s Day, with dainty rose plants giving Mum a longer-lasting surprise.

Make a colourful creation by placing three differently coloured rose plants in a pot or vase, with decorative stones or shells on top to hide the soil. These make a great centrepiece for a table, or to add cheer to a special place where Mum likes to sit.

Maybe Mum is very glamorous, gorgeous and elegant, and you’d like something extra-special to show her how much you care.

Amazing amaryllis

These blooms are the ultimate in luxury and elegance – tall, long legged and a pretty face – just like a yummy mummy! They come in all kinds of colours that Mum will love, and some have patterned faces, as if they’ve got blusher and make-up on.

You can tie them together with green hydrangea flowers and a satin bow for an extra-special treat – and leave on a chair for her to discover and enjoy.

Jasmine delight

Jasmine plants remind Mum of sweet-scented evenings abroad, eating al fresco in sunnier climes. Bring hints of a warmer, more luxurious place to her own home, with this perfumed plant.

The tiny, white or pink flowers of jasmine open up into small stars, and the scent is divine, heady, sweet, and exotic. Tuck in ceramic rose ornaments, for an extra touch of boudoir luxury. Like every supermodel beauty, these jasmine plants like regular drinks of water to keep themselves looking fresh and perky.

Surprise Mum by placing her new plant on a bedside table near a window, where the sweet scent of her gift will wake her before she even gets out of bed.