Week 2:
A fragrant gift for Mother's Day

Choosing the perfect Mother's Day gift can
sometimes be a bit of a challenge, but why not
think about giving Mum a perfumed plant for the
garden or a pot? That way she'll have a
fragrant reminder of your love for years to
come.

A perfumed rose
The first and most obvious 'scentsational'
suggestion is a rose. The earliest of the new
season's packaged roses are now available in
the shops but, fortunately, these days there are
always plenty of potted roses for sale as well.

Popular sweet-smelling suggestions are David
Austin roses or some of the old-fashioned
varieties. Think, too, about including with your
gift some rose-related add-ons such as thorn-
proof gloves, a pair of secateurs, a Yates Rose
Gun and a bag of Thrive Rose Food.

Dainty daphne

and, because it blooms in winter, it's also one of
Daphne is one of the most beloved of plants
the most valued. Sadly, daphnes can be a bit
tricky to grow and they're often more successful
in a pot. Make sure you give Mum everything
she'll need: the pot, the potting mix (choose a
top quality Thrive potting mix) and some slow
release plant food. A tub of Yates Nutricote
would be perfect for feeding a potted daphne,
and a Fungus Gun will provide protection from
leaf fungal diseases.

Healthy herbs
If Mum's a keen cook she'll love to be given a
pot of herbs for the balcony. It's too late in the
year for basil (start it off again in spring) but
thyme, chives, rosemary and bay can all
happily be planted at this time of year. In cold
areas, even these hardy varieties will need to
be kept in a protected spot.

Winter Sweet
Chimonanthus praecox won't come into flower
until late winter but, if Mum's into perfumed
plants, she definitely should have this one in
her garden. The spicily-scented flowers are
worth the wait, as they appear at a time when
little else is on show. Winter Sweet responds
well to chilly conditions, which makes it a great
choice for cold climate gardens. Feed after
flowering with a long-term fertiliser like Thrive
Shake 'n' Feed.

Citrus in a pot
Every garden needs a lemon tree so, if Mum's
garden is lemon-less, her own potted lemon will
be a very welcome gift. The compact-growing
Meyer variety is the best for pots and it's also
the most cold-tolerant.

Choose a pot that suits the conditions in Mum's
garden. A sturdy Yates Tuscan pot will be light
enough to move around if the plant has to go
into more shelter for winter. And Mum will be
over the moon if you pot the plant up for her
and carry it into her chosen spot.

Remember to reduce watering of all potted
plants as the weather gets cooler.

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