Kathy’s Gardening Guide: Celebrating Mom with Flowers

A mother is like a flower, each one is beautiful and unique.”

— unknown

Motherhood has been celebrated throughout history. Festivals in ancient Greece and Rome honored mothers, and early European Christians recognized them on “Mothering Sunday” each year. Mother’s Day became an official United States holiday in 1914. In all of these celebrations, children often show appreciation to their mothers with gifts of flowers.

Although all flowers are a wonderful gift for mothers on Mother’s Day, certain varieties stand out as popular choices and have meanings particularly suited to show mothers how special they are:

• Carnations are a popular choice for Mother’s Day gifts. They are long lasting, affordable and available in a variety of colors. All carnations mean love and devotion, and pink carnations specifically symbolize a mother’s love.
• The colorful blooms of daisies bring out happiness and represent cheerfulness and innocence. Daisies are available in a variety of colors, each with specific meanings: pink represents admiration, red symbolizes love and yellow means cheerfulness.
• Lilies produce large, elegant blooms in many colors. Symbolizing purity, fertility and new life, lilies are a traditional choice on Mother’s Day. These fragrant flowers are ideal for celebrating a mother’s devotion to her children and family.
• Peonies symbolize compassion, beauty and prosperity. They are available in pastel colors of light pinks and whites as well as more vibrant reds and purples. Blooming in spring, their lush flowers stand out in a bouquet.
• Roses are a traditional choice for Mother’s Day and come in many colors. Pink roses represent grace and appreciation, perfect to celebrate mom! But a multicolor bouquet is also beautiful. Yellow roses represent friendship and joy, peach means sincerity and gratitude, and red symbolizes love and passion.
• Sunflowers feature large, yellow flowers representing happiness, loyalty and wisdom. The blooms of a sunflower naturally turn to face the sun, thought to be a reminder of positivity and looking toward the future.
• Tulips are spring bloomers available in colors ranging from yellows and oranges to pinks, lavenders and purples. Featuring classic flowers with long petals, they symbolize confidence and affection.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms in our community and thank you for all you do!

Please email Kathy at kcg.pvr@gmail.com for any questions or gardening tips you would like to see in the future. For more information and ideas, visit Kathy’s Creative Gardens & Nursery, 196 N. Roscoe Blvd. The phone number is 904-655-7373.