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Community Editor Home and Garden Editor
Andrew McCredie Layne Christensen

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Plants the perfect Mother's Day gift

sow it grows

VERY YEAR we cele-

brate Mother’s Day on

the second Sunday of
May.

This special day to honor moth-
ers was established by two American
women in Philadelphia on May 10,
1908. The day gained national status
when President Woodrow Wilson
issued a proclamation in (914 ask-
ing for country-wide recognition of
mothers. Canadians soon picked up
on the idea.

1f you are having trouble thinking
ofa meaningful way to honor your
mother or someone else on this day,
think about giving her a plant. A
flowering potted plant is one of the
most appreciated gifts. Unlike cut,
flowers it can be enjoyed for several
weeks.

_ Begonia, cyclamen, chrysanthe-
mum, gloxinia and lily are all color-
ful and long lasting. Some plants
such as azaleas and hydrangeas can
be set out in the garden when the
blooms are finished. In this way the
plant will have an extended life and
the occasion will be remembered for
many years to come.

If your mother’s thumb has a
tinge of green to it, you might wish
to buy a flat of annuals so she can
plant them and enjoy them for the
next six months. Choose her favorite
cator or select pink as the traditional
Mother's Day color.

Cosmos, geranium, lavatera,
Nicotiana and petunias are all easy to
grow. If you plan to plant the flow-
ers in remembrance of your mother,
then white is the traditional color.
Try some cleome, lavatera, nico-
tiana, snapdragons or stocks.

cially the unique ones that she may
not go out and buy for herself, might
be appreciated.

Shrubs, always a popular choice,
are available in an endless number
Oo! varieties.

Remember to ask the sales per-
son about the size and the hardiness
of the plant you plan io purchase.
You don't want to buy a plant that
will become too large for the site or
one that is prone to die during the
first cold winter, Fuchsia magellani-
ca or Paeonia suffruticosa might be
interesting additions to a garden,

Rose bushes are a popular

favorite but rose culture can be very

demanding in our wet climate where
fungal diseases and insects are ever
present. To minimize these prob-
lems, choose a shrub-type rose that
flourishes with minimal care.

There are several varictics on the
market — the Meidiland series have
performed well. Sevillana, Bonica
and Pink ure three long-blooming
pinks that are hedge-type roses.
White, Red, Scarlet, Alba and Pearl
are all repeat bloomers in the
ground-cover series.

The old-fashioned David Austin
toses are also widely available and
gaining in popularity as a low-main-
tenance rose.

Hanging baskets have always
been a standard Mother's Day gift.

This year you might like to per-'”
sonalize the gift by creating your
own style of basket. It won't bloom
as early as a greenhouse grown one
would but it will be unique. If a-
hanging basket is not appropriate,
think about a small planter box filled
with a nice selection of annuals.

One accent plant, three or four |
plants for the main display and a few
trailing plants to soften the sides will
give you a nice show. Choose a
color scheme that will enhance the
planter box and catch the eye.

For apartment dwellers who
don't have gardens or balconies
there is always a wide selection of
interesting house plants to give as
gifts. Look for some of the new
upright or trailing plants such as
Schefflera capella or one of the
Aeschynantius group. ~

Check out your local nursery or
visit the Alpine Garden Club's plant
sale at William Griffin Gym, 851
West Queens Rd., North Van on

NEWS photo Terry Peters

WHAT MOM wouldn’t appreciate a gift of plants like these potted New Guinea impatiens. Choose
’ her favorite coior or select pink as the traditional Mother's Day color. White is the traditional color
if you plan to plant flowers in remembrance of your mother.

A small flat of perennials, espe- Sunday, May 7 from | to 4 p.m.

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