There are many things that we equate with Mother’s Day. Hand made cards from your children, sometimes made from small hands smothered in paint, stick figures and hearts. Breakfast in bed served by your adoring little fans. Once they grow up, that is another story. Brunches and dad’s attempts at taking over all of the things that mom typically does. Tent covered flower stands pop up in various locations with hand painted “Mother’s Day flowers here” signs. It is no coincidence that this holiday that started in 1908, is always the second Sunday in May when Spring is at its height of giving its new birth of florals to the landscape. Not only is this symbolic, but it makes it fairly easy to give a gift or decorate a table centered around the beauty budding up around you. Below you will find some ways to use florals to celebrate the very special, beyond ordinary, incredibly loved mom in your life!

If your Mother’s Day morning turns up with a break from the rain that sometimes inundates us at this time of year, take your celebration outside by setting up an impromptu table made out of a pair of sawhorses topped with an old door. Set out some china, tea pots and of course Spring florals. Lilacs and pansies are often plentiful at this time.

Glass cloches are always pretty additions to a table top. Add a couple of pretty pansies to your edibles and it elevates their look.

Toss in a couple more to your beverage for they are edible as long as you have grown them and you do not use any pesticides. You do have to be careful of ones you get at garden centers so if you want to use them on or in food, you want to get them from an organic source.

The containers that you amass your beauties from the garden in, can be very simple or elevated with paint, such as this painted Ball jar. Another cute addition to a Mother’s Day Brunch display is to use clear or vintage blue jars to house an adorable photo of the kiddos. Children, if you are reading or moms, if you are setting up a table for your own mom, place photos of you when you were younger in Ball jars. They can be placed on top a light layer of sand or just solo. Close the lid and you have a cute little display of mom’s favorites.

Vintage photos can be tucked in the floral arrangements to give a little pop of nostalgia.

A small bunch of florals can be tucked into tea cups which are flanked by silver and glass egg cups. Think outside of the box to display your florals and set your tables.

Florals can be elevated on the top of your table with risers which gives dimension to a table by the varying heights.

 

Wether the flowers are picked from your garden and interspersed with herbs
or purchased at the store or garden center, it is in their presentation that they shine.
What you arrange them in can be varied, from Birch covered containers…

to floral buckets…

to a plain glass vase placed in a decorative iron holder.

When picking out your flowers, consider where you are going to be displaying them. Consider the back ground that they will be displayed against and pick or choose them according to what will “pop” against that background or blend in. You do not want to fight the back ground. If doing table top flowers, consider the dish ware that you are using, the place settings and linens.

You can even put florals in a glass container with a lid. Choose a few stems and cut them to the height of the vessel that you have added a bit of water to.

If you have just one bloom in your yard or garden that is showing its beauty at this time, that is okay. Use just one type of bloom amassed in a bunch and it is just as stunning!

You can also add just the leaves of a plant to your arrangement. When scanning your yard or floral selection in the store, think of the combinations of color that might work together or pick a monotone.  Consider including branches and leaves of small shrubs or trees. You can find more and more of this type of  bud free material in your local store these days.

Whatever the case may be, however you choose to display them, florals ALWAYS are a gift from the heart full of beauty, that ANYONE can give and EVERYONE can enjoy!

 If you are a mom or a child, big or small, may your celebrations tomorrow be filled with flowers. If your mom has gone to heaven, celebrate and remember her by creating one small arrangement of her favorite floral…for we all have one, and relish in the memories and love that small token will create.

I leave you on this eve of Mother’s Day with some of my favorite quotes about moms.

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs… since the payment is pure love. ~Mildred B. Vermont If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been. ~Robert Brault A suburban mother’s role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after. ~Peter De Vre The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh All mothers are working mothers. ~Author Unknown

Happy Mother’s Day!

                   ~Meg