This weekend is all about mothers, and what is the perfect gift your customers can get for their moms? The natural tendency is to get her a bouquet of flowers. While this is thoughtful and beautiful, why not suggest they get her something that will last just a bit longer than those cut flowers?
This Mother’s Day, talk to your clients about hiring you to give mom a gift that will keep on giving. Talk to your customers about a few beautiful, long-lasting plants that will give mom the option of picking her flowers or letting them multiply in the yard.
Camellia (Camellia japonica)
Camellias are evergreen, flowering shrubs that bloom late in winter and into early spring. There is a wide variety of camellias and depending on the variety, the flower colors can range from pink to red to white, but are always backed with glossy, green leaves. Be sure to prune them after blooming has come to an end by removing dead or weak wood, thinning out growth and shortening lower branches.
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 7-9
- Partial shade to partial sun
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Fernleaf peonies (Paeonia tenuifolia)
These flowers can grow up to 28 inches tall and boast single crimson flowers with deeply dissected leaves. They bloom early in the season and can last all the way through summer and fall.
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-7
- Full sun
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August Beauty gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides ‘August Beauty’)
Boasting a pleasing aroma, dark, glossy leaves and bright white flowers, gardenias are definitely a favorite in the garden. When planted around borders, they will need good drainage and soil that is acidic. They should be planted high and should not be crowded by competing roots or other plants.
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-11
- Full sun or partial shade
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Daffodils (Narcissus poeticus)
Bursting onto the scene, daffodils typically bloom in spring and come in bright oranges, whites and yellows with a trumpet-shape central corona and six petals. Bulbs should be planted in fall; large bulbs should be planted about 6 or 8 inches deep, medium bulbs 3 to 6 inches and small bulbs 2 to 3 inches.
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-9
- Full or part sun
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Bearded irises (Iris germanica)
These are eye-catching with their delicate crepe-paper petals and intricate blooms, and along with being beautiful they are also easy to grow. Irises can bloom in a variety of colors, such as white, blue, purple, orange, yellow and pink. Irises do the majority of their flowering in late spring and into summer.
- USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-9
- Part sun to part shade