Did you know that Mother’s Day is the top floral holiday? Valentine’s Day gets all the love, but the offerings are very limited in February. Plus, most people have a mom, but not everyone has a sweetheart. As you’re shopping at your local garden center, there’s never been a better opportunity to select something special.
As both a mom and a grandma, here are my top picks for gifts I would like to give and receive from Suntory Flowers.
Basket Bonanza
You can’t beat flowering hanging baskets filled with colorful annuals, like petunias, calibrachoa and more. Mixing colors ups the perceived value. You can take the hanger off and drop the bowl in a nice patio container. I especially like the wicker cone-shaped baskets that make your plant look like an ice cream cone. I reuse and replant them every year. Water and fertilize regularly to maximize flowering through summer into fall.
Crazy for Daisies
How about a Grandaisy for grandma? These spring mums are loaded with daisy blooms in a range of colors – white, yellow, red, dark pink and the highly sought after Pink Halo! Bred in Australia, Grandaisy varieties are intergeneric hybrids that are a cross between Argyranthemum and Ismelia (tricolor mum). That’s where the unique colors and rings come in. These plants like bright sun and cool nights. Flower size will be smaller through the summer.
Romantic Roses
Shrub roses are the gift that keeps on giving! Modern breeding makes it easier than ever to have a rose garden. For fragrance and the old-fashioned flower form, we recommend Brindabella Roses. Three Brindabella varieties have earned fragrance and performance awards from American Garden Rose Selections – Purple Prince, Pink Princess and Crimson Knight. Both Purple Prince and Pink Princess have earned American Rose Trials for Sustainability (ARTS) awards, too.
Compact shrub roses are having a moment with Petite Knockout. Our compact line is Sunrosa with a full color range – Red, Orange Delight, Yellow Delight and Fragrant Pink. Red has been a superstar, earning the 2024 Master Rose Award from ARTS. Try it in a topiary form!
Mandevilla Mania
Many people receive their first mandevilla plant as a Mother’s Day gift. This niche tropical has exploded and is now widely available in many colors and forms. Be on the lookout for the truly special ones this season. Novelties in the Sun Parasol XP line include:
Bluephoria – Pink buds open to mesmerizing shades of bluish purple, a true breeding breakthrough!
Mauvelous – blooms have an artistic airbrushed pattern
Double Pink Blush – light pink blooms with darker petals in the throat, a rare find!
XP stands for extreme performance. Bushy plants thrive in the heat and are covered with blooms all summer. These are the dipladenia style, not the climbing vining type. Although you can train them to a trellis, the vigor is much more controlled. They aren’t natural climbers.
I will close with a fun video we made years ago promoting Sun Parasol as a gift for mom. Enjoy!
By Natalie Carmolli, Proven Winners® ColorChoice®
Photographs courtesy of Proven Winners® ColorChoice®
We can add a pop of pink to existing gardens or mix deep pink flowers with mid-to-pale pinks to make a gorgeous monochromatic garden statement. To learn more Click here for an interesting article.
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