Mother's Day Flowers: A Can't Miss, Be They Potted, Planted, or Picked

Mother’s Day weekend is one of the biggest flower-shopping times of the year. And while the other flower-heavy holiday, Valentine’s Day, falls in the middle of winter, the springtime occurrence of Mother’s Day means diverse flower bouquets are more available for Mom right up to crunch time.

“We are well-supplied; we’re very prepared,” said Sabrina Reimann of . “Usually people wait to the last minute.”

Sadie Belman, co-owner of in Clarendon Hills, said the supply of flowers like tulips, hydrangeas, peonies, and many colors of roses is larger in mid-May than it is in mid-February. That leads to bouquets with great looks, texture, and fragrance.

“Mother’s Day is a great holiday because it’s a great time of the year,” Belman said. “There’s a lot more options.”

And unlike Valentine’s Day, you can go beyond the bouquet at Mother’s Day and give something for the garden.

“Typically our busiest day of the year is the Saturday before Mother’s Day,” Kim Boyer Goers of in Hinsdale said. “Mother’s Day is a big marker of when you start planting.”

Goers suggested buying Mom some perennials for her garden that will sprout each year and remind her of you, or an indoor plant perfect for condos and other smaller spaces.

“A lot of people‘s mothers don’t have yards anymore, so we do sell a lot of English-garden baskets,” Goers said.

For the non-green-thumbs, Reimann said a spring mix containing gerbera daisies, snapdragons and lilies is a good choice, as are a bubble-bowl full of tulips, azaleas, or hydrangeas.

Belman said coming up with guidelines for an arrangement, such as Mom’s favorite colors and one flower you know she likes, and letting the experts take care of the specifics is a wise choice.

That saves you the trouble of looking over every flower in the store and lets designers do what they do best and enjoy.

“Quite often it’s a good idea,” Belman said.

Better yet, you might even let Mom pick out her own favorites.

“We do sell a lot of gift cards,” Goers said, “because Mom always knows what she wants most.”

We all know that doesn’t fly on V-Day.

Happy Mother’s Day.