Here are some gift ideas for mothers who are interested in cacti and succulents.

Christmas is the major holiday so far as gifts are concerned. However, Mother’s Day ranks pretty high in terms of spending. Mother’s Day became an official holiday in 1914. It is the second Sunday in May.

When mothers are cacti and succulent gardeners, it is very easy to choose a gift. A strawberry planter planted with hen and chicks would be just perfect. This would be hard to wrap. Just include a colorful pot or flower pick and tie a ribbon around the pot. Dish gardens of cacti and succulents would be very nice. For sunny porches and decks, why not buy a beautiful hanging basket filled with moss rose or portulaca?

In addition to these planters, you could also buy an assortment of hardy plants for perennial beds and borders. For sedums and hens and chicks, the more the merrier. Buy at least three plants of each variety/species. For use as specimen plants, one is sufficient.

Flowering kalanchoes, such as the Calandivas, and other flowering pot plants are often used for Mother’s Day gifts. Typically, these bring several weeks of color and can be kept indoors or out.

One of the best gifts for mothers who garden is an assortment of cacti and succulent plants and/or seeds.

Don’t settle for ordinary wrapping paper for those Mother’s Day gifts. Use fabric instead. This would look beautiful if used to wrap the pots of gift plants, such as kalanchoes. You’ll get wonderful ideas from “Gift Wrapping with Textiles-Stylish Ideas from Japan” by artist Chizuko Morita, published by Kodansha International. Though she has done seven books on wrapping, this is the very first one in English. She appears on Japan’s public television channel.

The author gives illustrated, step-by-step instructions for wrapping all sorts of items from hard-to-wrap balls and flower pots to planters, and bouquets. Her method is based on a traditional Japanese technique that has been in use for years. In addition to gift wrapping, the author shows how wrapped items can be used for interior design as table settings, pillows, and more. The wrap styles range from the very simple to the elegant with a chapter devoted to each. In the introduction, the author explains all the basics you need to know.

For Mother’s Day, gift baskets with flowering kalanchoes and other items are very welcome. Mixed gift baskets are available commercially, but you can create beautiful ones of your own. To guide you in this process, there is no better source than “The Perfect Basket-How to Make a Fabulous Gift Basket for Any Occasion” by Diane Phillips. This was published by Harvard Common Press.

Whatever your mom’s interest may be, the author has projects and wonderful ideas with complete instructions for every imaginable kind of baskets. This features over 60 themed and special occasion baskets illustrated in full color. For each project, the author walks you through step-by-step instructions and tips for every budget level. In the introduction, the author provides details on all the supplies and techniques one needs to create these personalized gifts. There is a gardener’s helper basket, which would be beautiful with a flowering cacti or succulent.