In This Issue:

1. Mom's Day is coming up!

2. It's coupon time...

3. Topic of the month: Flowers

4. Shameless self-promotion

1. Mom's Day is coming up!

Yes, it's true. Mother's day will be upon us before you can say, "finish your plate or you won't get dessert." You might be wracking your brain to figure out what would show your appreciation and love for dear old mom. Here are a few suggestions for the Gardenerd mom:

Plants in her favorite color: my mother's favorite flower is the yellow rose. I found 3 delightful yellow bare-root roses from a mail order company and had them shipped directly to her. She has enjoyed them for years.

A mini herb garden: One year I placed 2-inch pots of 6 different herbs (thyme, basil, oregano, chives, rosemary and tarragon) in a basket and surrounded them with tissue paper. Mom was so excited to know that she would have a thriving herb garden in just a short time.

A vegetable garden: Mom wanted to grow vegetables but didn't think she had the space. With the help of Square Foot Gardening (a book by Mel Bartholomew) we built her a 4x4 foot raised bed and planted lettuces, root vegetables, and brassicas (cauliflower and broccoli) all from seeds I had in my collection. The only cost was for the wood and some soil amendments. She grew amazing tomatoes there in the years that followed.

These are just a few suggestions for showing mom how much you love her and support her passion for gardening. Check out your local nursery for more great ideas.

2. It's coupon time...

It just so happens that CafePress.com is offering $3 off women's t-shirts, aprons and tote bags. Get 'em while they're hot! Picture mom carrying your dirty laundry in one of our spacious tote bags (just kidding... the laundry would be clean it she were carrying it, right?) Imagine her stepping out to the garden in a comfortable, well fitting, Gardenerd ladies t-shirt. Picture her fixing your favorite meal on your birthday (wait...this isn't about you)...okay, fixing HER favorite meal, after you've moved out of the house and gotten a "real job", in a dashing Gardenerd apron. Wouldn't that be a great gift for the Gardenerd mom, aunt or sister with kids in your life? We thought so... here's your link to CafePress.

LINK: http://www.cafepress.com/gardenerd

3. Topic of the month: Flowers

While typing up the title for this month's newsletter, the word "mums" made me shudder. Maybe it's because I spent 3 winter breaks pasting gooey chrysanthemums to Rose Bowl Parade floats in the freezing-cold midnight hours of late December. Maybe it's because I heard someone refer to them as the "polyester of flowers", which personally I think ranks right up there with carnations. These flowers are known in some countries to represent death and are used at funerals, but in the United States, their meaning is more cheerful. The flower was introduced from China back in the 17th century and has been used to make a fragrant tea and the greens can be sautéed with garlic and chili peppers to make a tasty dish (if anyone wants to try that, let me know how it works for you.)

All that is very interesting, but let's get down to the brass tacks. Chrysanthemums are available in a myriad of colors to please any palate, they grow to many different heights, so they can be used throughout the garden to fill in spaces, and they have many different head types: thistle or spider, flat (daisy), or pompom. Not to mention they even have their own society: The National Chrysanthemum Society. They have many links to other interesting mum sites and pictures of some varieties that look more like they belong at the bottom of the ocean than in the garden. My favorites are the chartreuse mums. They're out of this world.

Link: http://www.mums.org/index.htm

4. Shameless self-promotion

Stay tuned for more from the Gardenerd! Happy gardening.