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.