By Kerri Williams

Editor’s note: This is an occasional series of columns by Journal reporter Kerri Williams, exploring her journey with backyard gardening, offering tips for success, and highlighting some of the horticultural beauty found right here in Westport.

One of my favorite things in my yard is a wooden bench swing. It’s the perfect spot to sit and look at the gardens and flowering trees around the yard. It’s a place for my daughter, who has special needs, to swing some time away. And it’s a location for the whole family to gather.

That swing was a Mother’s Day gift many years ago from my husband when our children were toddlers. And it’s still used today as much as it was all those years ago.

With Mother’s Day coming up on May 11, why not tell mom how special she is with something to enjoy nature and plant life?

In Westport, perhaps the best place to find that perfect gift is at the Westport Garden Club plant sale, which takes place May 10, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Jesup Green, next to the Westport Library.

The Westport Garden Club plant sale at Jesup Green.

Andi Turner, horticulture chair for the club, has arranged flowers and greens from her garden that will be for sale. In addition, the event includes potted plants and arrangements that can be enjoyed all summer. Club members will be available to offer advice about the plants, which include tags with care information.

There is the added benefit of helping to beautify Westport, as proceeds go toward the club’s civic projects, including maintenance of local public gardens.

The perfect plants for the perfect parent

Of course, not all moms have an outside area where they can garden. For my friend Paula, who lives in Westport, the solution is houseplants. As she recently reminded me, anyone who tends one plant is a gardener.

Paula has two favorite houseplants, and both make great gifts for moms or someone special. The first is a mini umbrella plant. Paula likes them because they are easy to prune to maintain their shape and are resistant to disease.

Another favorite is the spider plant. That plant can be restarted from the “babies” that it produces, making a perfect metaphor for Mother’s Day. In fact, Paula’s plant comes from an old one that belonged to her grandmother 60 years ago.

Houseplants are one of the many Mother’s Day gift ideas that you can find at Gilbertie’s Garden Center on Sylvan Lane.

Paula’s spider plant with its “babies.” The larger plant is 60 years old.

According to Kathy Gilbertie Knipper, it all comes down to the type of gardener your mom is.

“If you are like me, you’d say soil is a perfect gift,” she said. “Sure, I love soil.”

Others might appreciate a trellis, stakes, or statuary such as a bird bath.  Native plants, shrubs and trees are available, or even garden gloves and tools make nice gifts for a gardener.

A tree or shrub can be a reminder each year of a mother’s love. I received a lilac one year that was a centerpiece of my Connecticut garden.

Another time, my sister filled window boxes with herbs that she gave to both me and my mom. From lemon thyme to pineapple mint and purple basil, Gilbertie’s has many interesting types. That planter was all-the-more special because my sister selected and planted the herbs herself. I thought of her all that summer when I picked some basil to add to a sauce or some parsley to put in a salad.

The best plant presents cost nothing more than love

But what about the adage that the best things in life are free? A hand-drawn picture or card with a bird or flower could be something a mom can treasure forever. And taking mom to the Lillian Wadsworth Arboretum or to Winslow Park for a family nature walk could be an adventure to always remember.

A homemade herb container for Mother’s Day.

My brother-in-law has taken that adage to the next level. Every Mother’s Day since he was a boy, he has picked his mom wildflowers, which he presents to her in a vase. For my mother-in-law, the tradition could not be more special.

So, whether it’s a garden swing or a hand-picked bouquet of lilacs, why not start your own tradition of getting back to nature this Mother’s Day?

Kerri Williams is a freelance writer who has worked in journalism for years, including as a reporter for the Norwalk Hour and managing editor of the Norwalk Citizen-News. If you have pictures or ideas to share, please send her an email at cultivatingwithkerri@gmail.com.