With Mother’s Day right around the corner, we thought it best to not only remind you, but to provide some gift advice. While a bouquet of flowers is standard and almost expected, potted plants or seeds are a thoughtful alternative that will last longer and give your mum an excuse to putter around in her garden.
Regardless of whether she’s been growing and maintaining her garden for years or if she’s just recently developed a green thumb, flowers will – literally – be the gift that keeps on giving.
We’ve rounded up the earliest-blooming flowers and have also taken into consideration which are the easiest to care for and which will thrive in England’s unpredictable climate.
Here’s our Top Five Earliest-Blooming Flowers
1.) Daffodil
These golden, cheery flowers in many ways represent Spring as they start blooming in March. If you plant them once, they’ll grow again and again with very little maintenance. They can withstand cold temperatures and aren’t fussy when it comes to shade and heat. If you do gift your mum the bulb as opposed to a potted plant, make sure to write a little note explaining that the pointy end should face upwards and the fat, flatter end should be pushed well down into the soil.
2.) Snowdrop
While you may not know these by name, you’ve certainly seen them around. These white flowers bloom ahead of daffodils and need light shade. We recommend planting them underneath shrubs or window sills. While you could – of course – give your mum a package of bulbs, we recommend giving her the flowered plant, with the foliage still intact for instant effect.
3.) Violet/Pansy
Apart of the viola family, violets and pansies are small, heart-shaped flowers that are seen in dozens of different colours and colour combinations. Unlike the two flowers above, these flowers appear to grow directly from the ground, with hardly visible stems. They bloom quickly and in large numbers, making them the perfect flower to kick-start your Spring.
4.) Christmas Rose
No, they don’t look like ‘traditional’ roses but yes, these small white flowers are absolutely beautiful. As with snowdrops, we recommend buying your mum the potted plant. Look for rounded blooms and foliage with a full-body. Basically, choose the healthiest looking one! They only need to be watered once a week and need a bit of shade which, given England’s cloudy disposition, shouldn’t be difficult to achieve. Bear in mind that these flowers do require a bit more work as they need to be repotted every year.
5.) Succulent
We know, this is a plant, not a flower. We also know that not every mum likes to garden or even has a garden. In that case, succulents are the perfect substitute. They need very little water/sun and – under the right conditions – can actually bloom.
