So ill face the facts: aside from watering a plant, ive never planted, transplanted, or been a plant (and I'm not the wittiest person either!)
anyway, short story short, I am in southern california and my parents are gone for a couple months, and ive been trying to thing of a differant mother's day gift. we have a nice spot in the back that would get sunlight for the majority of the day and I was thinking of planting something and surprising her when she gets back home. But I know nothing about plants, and was wondering, do you guys have any sort of suggestions of maybe something exotic that I could order (that is pretty of course because moms love pretty things!) and would do well in the southern california area? thanks a ton you guys.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
As a mom of an adult son, I think I can safely say your mom will be very pleased and touched with whatever you do!
I think really it will depend on what you can find. I would suggest going to a good local nursery where people know their plants (NOT a big box store) and talking to them about what you want to do and see what they come up with for you.
But here's some suggestions for native flowering perennials (native meaning they should be adapted to your conditions and easy to grow, perennial meaning it will come back year after year). I picked ones that have at least a good chance of being in bloom for mother's day:
butterfly weed - showy orange flowers, host plant for monarch butterflies
desert mariposa lily - beautiful brilliant orange flowers
camassia - spikes of purple flowers
coreopsis - easy to grow, hardy, blooms all season with bright yellow flowers, attractive to birds (which like the seeds) and butterflies
pacific bleeding heart - sentimental gift to mom, flowers like little pink valentine hearts
purple sage (perennial salvia) - blooms all season with purple flower spikes, hardy, desert adapted
penstemon - another classic desert garden flower
I think really it will depend on what you can find. I would suggest going to a good local nursery where people know their plants (NOT a big box store) and talking to them about what you want to do and see what they come up with for you.
But here's some suggestions for native flowering perennials (native meaning they should be adapted to your conditions and easy to grow, perennial meaning it will come back year after year). I picked ones that have at least a good chance of being in bloom for mother's day:
butterfly weed - showy orange flowers, host plant for monarch butterflies
desert mariposa lily - beautiful brilliant orange flowers
camassia - spikes of purple flowers
coreopsis - easy to grow, hardy, blooms all season with bright yellow flowers, attractive to birds (which like the seeds) and butterflies
pacific bleeding heart - sentimental gift to mom, flowers like little pink valentine hearts
purple sage (perennial salvia) - blooms all season with purple flower spikes, hardy, desert adapted
penstemon - another classic desert garden flower
Thank you rainbowgardener for your tips. This isnt like I'm ransacking the house and tearing her garding up. This would assume my mom spends time in her "garden/yard/weed collection" to begin with, so a gift card would sit and rot in the filing cabinet. With full time work/school, me actually being home when shes around is a rare occasion anyway. Plus I'm tired of waking up every day and seeing a nice big spot of nothing.
Again rainbow thank you very much I am going to look into the ones you listed and take your advice.
Again rainbow thank you very much I am going to look into the ones you listed and take your advice.