The Whistling Gardener

by Steve Smith

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville, located at 3915 Sunnyside Blvd., and a respected local expert on all things horticultural. You can reach Steve at 425-334-2002 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Oh, the eternal question. What should I get mom for her once-a-year special day, knowing that no matter what it is, it will never be commensurate with all the love and sacrifice she has given to me and my siblings over my 62 plus years of existence? Well, sadly for me, mom passed away 8 years ago so I don't have to worry about this dilemma, but the rest of you do, so here are some ideas that might save your bacon if you are still in a quandary as to what to do.

First off, mom's love is eternal and everlasting and there is nothing I can recommend that will withstand the test of time like mom does. Shrubs, trees and perennials should be everlasting but there are no guarantees in life, so don't worry too much about that. A beautiful hanging basket (while not everlasting) will bring her at least five months of joy and cost you around $50 for a really good one. I recommend something that contains Supertunias for sun and fuchsias for shade. The bigger the basket the better, simply because the big ones will last longer and be easier to take care of.

Not as glamorous but perfect for the practical mother is a tomato growing package. You can purchase a 15-gallon nursery pot and tomato cage, potting soil and tomato plant for around $30 that will produce many pounds of delicious tomatoes in late summer and fall. If you don't think this will work for mom, then save the idea for Father's Day. Tomatoes and dads are sort of like peanut butter and jelly. I admit, most moms are more floral oriented.

Speaking of flowers, I don't think there is a mom in the world that doesn't like the fragrance of a lilac, and you can find lots of choices this time of year. We actually have a "buy one, get one free" special just for mom's day, but don't tell my competitors. The French hybrids make the biggest blooms but the dwarfs like Miss Kim and Tinkerbell are superb shrubs for the garden, too.

Perennials are forever just like mom. Why not present mom with a gift certificate for $100 (or more if you really love her) toward the purchase of some perennials for a cutting garden? The choices are limitless and mom will want to come in several times throughout this spring season to select her favorites. Before she picks them out you can do all the work of getting the soil ready with the compost and organic fertilizer. Your reward will be later this year when she has you over for a home-cooked meal and displays her prizes in a vase on the dinner table. You can pat yourself on the back knowing that you made it all possible. And just like pierced ears, you can add to the collection every year. It's a no-brainer.

Garden accessories like bird baths and benches and fountains are essential elements in any garden. Mom likes to work in the garden but she also likes to pause and reflect and a bench makes that possible. So does a fountain with the soothing sound of running water. And what mother doesn't enjoy the sound of our feathered friends? Birdbaths and feeders will lure these vocalists into her garden for weeks and months of enjoyment with very little effort on her part. Add a few shrubs for refuge and nesting and, presto-chango, she has a backyard sanctuary.

If mom is the rose type, then more than likely she is also the clematis type. They seem to go hand in hand, so if you buy her one you should really buy her the other along with some sort of trellis/obelisk/arbor structure to grow the clematis or climbing rose on. These structures will also help to articulate the garden space so she can have a "room" to enjoy where a small bistro table or chime from Music of the Spheres will elevate her consciousness and allow her to move past all the pain and suffering you caused her during your adolescent years.

Finally, if for some bizarre reason, mom doesn't actually like to garden but enjoys gardening vicariously, then you could buy her a ticket to join my tour to New Zealand this fall where we will travel to multiple gardens on both islands at a time when it is spring in the southern hemisphere and generally crappy here in the northwest. Yes, I know, it has been crappy for months but who is counting?

So, people, you have choices. I have done all I can do. The rest is up to you. Go forth and honor your mother and remember that no matter what you do, she will always love you unconditionally and forever.

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached at 425-334-2002 or online at [email protected]