Birthday flowers/plant recommendations!

[merilenda]

Hi, PS! I haven't been around much the last few months, but I've missed it around here. Can't believe I've been married for 7 months now.

So I was thinking that PS always has such great recommendations and advice, and I could use a little help. My mom turns 70 next weekend (I can't believe it!). I don't live in the area, so I'd like to send her flowers. While I certainly love flowers and appreciate their beauty, I know very little about them.

My mom, on the other hand, is your typical green thumb. She has a lot of indoor plants as well as a very large garden in both her front and back yards during the warmer months. I don't want to just send a bouquet of cut flowers. They're pretty of course, but I think she'd appreciate something more like a flowering plant. Something that will bloom for a while. And then maybe she can plant it in the yard when it's done.

I've browsed around on some floral delivery sites, and I was thinking about mini-roses (something like this). But I thought maybe some of the green thumb types on PS would have better advice than my browsing whim.

I'll probably be ordering fairly soon to ensure delivery on her birthday. Hope everything is well out in PS land!

 

[MsP]

Knowing your budget would really help...

I'm a big fan of calling around to local places and asking if they have any nice specimens in house...and then just going with that. A few months ago I did this and found a great cymbidium orchid that was in full bloom at this shop, and wasn't even an option on their site, but was able to purchase and have it delivered. It. Was. Stunning.

Just an idea.

 

[merilenda]

That's a good idea. Ive actually been meaning to call a local sore and ask for recs. Just hard to coordinate with work and being across the country! I don't have a strict budget in mind, but I will probably stay around the $50 range. Willing to stretch for something ideal though.

 

[iLander]

Do you know what planting zone your mom is in? I can make suggestions if I know what zone she is in.

Here's a map from the USDA; http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hrdzon3.html

I loved it when my kids did this for me! One mother's day, they picked out 5 plants and helped me plant them. I think of it as my mother's day garden and look at it every day! It's a fond memory for me.

 

[tuffyluvr]

I love succulents and cacti! They're beautiful and very easy to care for and a little bit different. This website has some nice mini gardens--the 10" glazed pot near the bottom of the page is really cool:

http://www.cactuslimon.com/cactuslimongifts.htm

 

[merilenda]

Do you know what planting zone your mom is in? I can make suggestions if I know what zone she is in.
Here's a map from the USDA; http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hrdzon3.html

I loved it when my kids did this for me! One mother's day, they picked out 5 plants and helped me plant them. I think of it as my mother's day garden and look at it every day! It's a fond memory for me.

I can't quite read the zones on my tablet...I think it's 6a. She's in the darkest green color zone. Looking forward to your suggestions!

 

[Gypsy]

I like cut flowers. Right now is a great time for so many of them. Just a big tulip arrangement is what I would do. Ask for an 'open arrangement' with lots of greens but not too much clutter of filler.

 

[iLander]

I can't quite read the zones on my tablet...I think it's 6a. She's in the darkest green color zone. Looking forward to your suggestions!

Crepe myrtle if she has a sunny spot. Azalea if she has a shady spot with pine trees. Azaleas and crepe myrtles both come in wonderful variety of colors; pink, whites, fuchsias, purplish. There are even some fancy versions with ruffled, contrasting edges. Google them, some are just amazing.

Because she's 70, if I were you, I'd call a local nursery (google) and order a plant and an installation. I'm getting kind of oldish for digging my own holes, and I'd appreciate the heck out of just telling someone "plant it there." I'd be willing to bet you get the whole deal done for $50. I think it would be a big event for her. Or just ask them what's blooming and gorgeous right now, they'll tell you.

I've gotten those little plants from florists and they are grown in such extreme greenhouse conditions that they just fade away in the "real world". It's really hard to get them to thrive.

 

[movie zombie]

since she's a green thumb, i don't recommend cut flowers.
and she probably has an established garden. how about a potted plant for the house, patio or entry way?
do you know any of her friends? i'm betting they'd have a suggestion.
i'm a green thumb and i'm actually sort of picky about my plants.....now that i'm older and have so many. i actually want to limit how many i have to care for and don't want anything that requires a lot of attention. just something to think about.

eta: call a nursery local to her area and ask them what the zone is before you do anything. also, USDA and Sunset zones are different. make sure which you're talking about with them!

 

[Enerchi]

As your mom is turning 70, is she still actively gardening and has no issues with mobility? If you give her a nursery plant, will she remain in that location for a few more years to enjoy it? Just a thought if she may be considering a relocation at any point soon.

I always love the luxury of cut flowers - other than tulips which I like to pick up regularly - there is something so special about a huge bouquet, in my mind! Dramatic flowers? Tropical? BIG AND BOLD in a 1 colour or multi colour theme?

Whenever I order flowers, I give a suggestion (like above) then let the florist take it from there, with my budget in mind. They always get good reviews from the recipients, so I trust the florist completely!

Happy birthday to your mom!

 

[lulu]

I'm a 6a too. I'd go to heirloomroses.com and order a rosebush. They have beautiful "own root" roses that are winter hardy.

 

[merilenda]

Thank you for the suggestions, everyone! I will look into all of them. I had to chuckle a little about the considerations regarding her age. I swear, I'm 28 and that woman is in better shape than I am. She walks several miles every day, rain or shine, and pretty much lives in the garden every summer. I actually work with older adults with a nursing home level of care, and many of them are younger than her. It always blows my mind a bit. Her family is very long-lived.

I actually found a page that has care tips for indoor plants, so I'm browsing it and looking for something that isn't too involved. Not that she wouldn't be able to do it, but like MZ mentioned, I hate to give her something that requires a lot of special care.

 

[Lotus99]

My mom is in her mid 70s and still doing all kinds of gardening (including growing vegetables).

Azaleas are a pretty springtime flower and should do well in her zone. Spring bulbs (tulips, etc.) are something she can enjoy in the house then plant outside later in the year and have bloom next spring. Several of the online flower delivery companies also sell hydrangeas, which she could plant out after it has finished blooming indoors.

If she likes houseplants, you might consider something like a pot-et-fleurs, where it has some flowering houseplants, green houseplants and possibly cut flowers mixed in a basket/decorative planter.

 

[johnsunnel]

I had gone through the posts. I am so interesting for collecting the various specimen of plants. In weekends times, I visiting various plants nursing homes and collected various kinds of plants. Where to find the best birthday flowers or different kinds of plants ?

manila flower delivery

 

[House Cat]

I always love indoor flowering plants. Gloxinia are incredibly beautiful.

Fiddle leaf fig trees are HUGELY popular in the decorating world for houseplants right now. They are a bit pricey, but highly prized.

Something that is unique would be a Calamondin Tree. It is basically a tiny orange tree, grown indoors, smells heavenly when it blooms, and then has tiny oranges on it. It is awesome for a specimen plant for your house.

If you are going to pick out a rose for your mom, I second the "own root rose" idea. They are healthier and virus free. Just make sure you know her taste in roses or that she's sentimental.