Two weeks of Mother's Day in 2009

Much to my surprise and I suspect that of many others, Mother's Day is come early this year. Because the first of the month falls on a Friday, the official second Sunday in May – May 10 – is Mother's Day. I thought it was the following weekend, and have a trip booked home to help Mom with the garden chores.

So now I'm in it for cut flowers as well as annuals to ring her house. Just as well, she never minds receiving a bouquet arrangement from the delivery service. With nine grandchildren sprinkled around the country, that's not an uncommon event.

It's the least we can do for all that she's done for us over the years. And I think, possibly, just possibly, those gifts and phone calls and flowers will be arriving over a two week span. Who could complain about that?

Why choose a Mother's day plant?

There are purists out there who would not choose a Mother's day plant. A bouquet of flowers instead might be their choice -- perhaps because mom has a favorite flower that only comes in cut versions.  But there is a good rationale in 2009 for purchasing the plant version instead.

It's the economy, stupid! A Mother's day plant is the gift that keeps on giving. This not only includes the glorious geranium that is planted in the garden a week or two later, but perhaps also the cala lilly or hydrangea that once planted will come back every year for generations to come.

Metaphorically speaking, a plant makes more sense as well. Motherhood is no short term role. Mom was always there, summer, winter, spring and fall, to make sure we made our way from infancy to adulthood. We needed watering and food and protection from pests. A Mother's day plant shows even more beauty with time – not unlike her children.

Why the custom of Mother's Day flowers?

Dad gets a tie, or something related to golfing, or fishing tackle for Father's Day. And everyone agrees every year these things might not be appreciated, or necessary.

But Mother's Day flowers are universally loved, accepted – and expected. Why? To many of us, flowers might seem superficial, fleeting, a declining value in a relatively short time. But to a mom, Mother's Day flowers are the perfect metaphor, the beautiful representation of what it means to raise children. It takes a lot of work to bring beautiful Mother's Day flowers to a vase in the dining room – growing, shipping, slicing off the bottoms before placing in water – but the result is worth every bit of effort. The fact that every flower is different from others is especially meaningful to mother's of large families, for obvious reasons.

Cabbage -- the vegetable, not the green cash in our wallets -- is one of the most universal, versatile and healthiest foods in the world. It's no accident that cultures from Asia to Europe to North and South America use cabbage as regular sustenance.

(Fact: on islands that are technically part of Antartica -- as well the rest of the world's more temperate climates -- varieties of cabbage grow because the seeds were hardy enough to travel that far and the plants can survive harsh climates.)

This blog is a place for people to talk about cabbage as well as other members of the cruciferous family -- broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radishes, rutabaga, swiss chard, turnips, garden cress, collard greens, beet greens and mustard greens. Post your recipes, ask questions, learn more about what's happening in the global and local markets for these terrific, healthy vegetables. Our ancestors learned to use cabbage and similar vegetables to sustain them through long winters (cabbage has a long shelf life and stores easily), which is why so many recipes have evolved. Let's capture those dishes before we forget them -- and come up some new ones to share as well.