Get to a garden centre for a well-chosen, Mother’s Day present for tomorrow

Forget that bunch of garage flowers for your gardening mother — have a quick look instead through Hannah Stephenson’s suggestions.

There are many great gifts available for gardening Mammies on Mother’s Day — and choosing a nice plant, shrub or tree is a lot more personal that a fast-fading bunch of hot house flowers.

Roses for mother

Pick a rose with her name — there is a huge choice out there with feminine names — one may suit, and as well, there are a host of other plants including wild geraniums, camellia, agapanthus and hibiscus, named after women.

Perhaps the perfect choice is the hybrid tea rose ‘Mum in a Million’, a pink variety with perfumed blooms from summer through to autumn, available from specialist rose grower Style Roses ( www.styleroses.co.uk ).

‘Loving Mum’, a vibrant, lightly scented orange tea rose, and ‘My Mum’, a floribunda with red blooms and silver reverse, are also ideal gifts.

You may find these in the local garden centre, if not, plump for a good quality, potted variety that can be planted now.

Gardening goods

These are the kind of presents your mother won’t buy for herself and a gardening apron, for instance, makes a very handy present as well as being a practical tool for holding secateurs, string, plant markers and other bits and bobs.

Check out good garden centres for attractive aprons and throw in a pair of gloves too — or even,a kneeler. Good quality trowel and fork sets that you make up yourself, are always welcome

Best of the bunch:

Narcissi (Daffodil) evoke the bright, cheery optimism of spring, in shades ranging from zingy yellow to cream with deep orange cups, in a variety of shapes and sizes from hoop-petticoats to trumpets, double-flowered and fragrant.

A small tub of narcissi is a great gift to bring to your mother, and it can sit near the front or patio door to brighten up her mood this spring.

Azaleas too, if planted in good soil and fed in summer, will come up year after year and have a nice, low-growing habit — but will need acid soil.

So collect some ericaceous compost too, if the soil is limey.

A tree is for life

If the Mammy’s garden is big enough, go for a good shrub or tree. This is bare root season so you can still pick up the bes t of apples, pears and ornamentals.

Those that are flowering now, such as the early Cherries, will flower at this time every year, so the gift will go on giving each spring.

A statement tree, like a Magnolia is always welcome and pick the variety to suit the garden — a show-stopper like the magnificent Magnolia Grandiflora is only for large gardens.