Outdoor Plants for Mom's Day

• Give a Mother's Day gift that will grow year after year. Jupiterimages/Creatas/Getty Images

  A living plant is a long-lasting present to remind Mom of your affection long after Mother's Day has passed. Falling on the second Sunday in May, Mother's Day occurs during the spring planting season. Whether your mom is a dedicated gardener or simply has a little space outside, an outdoor plant gift is a sentimental and practical way to say "I love you."

Azaleas

• Brightly blooming azalea plants, their pots wrapped in shiny foil with a big ribbon, sit for sale in store displays just in time for Mother's Day. Known as florist azaleas, these plants are raised in temperature-controlled greenhouses and manipulated to bloom by a target date. They are not cold-hardy and struggle to survive when planted outdoors after their blooms have faded. If purchasing this type of plant, instruct your mother to set it outside, still in its pot, after the last frost and then bring it back indoors when temperatures drop in the fall. For a truly hardy azalea bush that will grow as a perennial bush in the garden, go the extra mile to purchase a nursery-raised plant and add your own ribbon to the pot. Azalea varieties are either evergreen or deciduous, upright or low-growing, and come in a range of colors from deep reds to pristine white. With so many varieties to choose from, consider celebrating Mother's Day with an outing to the local nursery or garden center where she can select her own azalea plant.

Barbados Cherry

• If your mother lives in a warm climate where temperatures rarely drop below 30 degrees F, give a gift a that is both an attractive evergreen shrub and a source of vitamin C. Obtain your Barbados Cherry from a nursery with plants developed to bear large fruit, such as the B-17 and Florida Sweet varieties. Barbados Cherry shrubs should be planted outdoors in the spring -- perfect timing for Mother's Day -- and in well-drained soil. If you want to make your gift more substantial, add a box of citrus tree fertilizer and small pruners to keep the shrub healthy and trimmed. Barbados Cherry will flower each spring, with lighter flourishes of blossoms continuing through the summer. As the flowers fade, red cherries emerge, providing vitamin-rich fruit for fresh eating, freezing or making into pies and jelly.

Primroses

• An early spring bloomer, primroses are at their prime around Mother's Day in many parts of the country. Vivid pastel and jewel-toned, rosette-shaped flowers nestle in the center of the elongated crinkly leaves. Typically sold as a single plant per pot, primroses are a cost-effective solution if you have a tight budget. One primrose in full bloom with flowers of your mother's favorite color makes a thoughtful statement of love and appreciation. Several primroses in a basket or planted in a container for the patio also make a meaningful gift. Primroses may be set in the ground outdoors while they're still in bloom or after the blossoms have faded. The plants grow best in a partially shaded location where the soil is moist, but not soggy.