Green thumb
Don’t panic if you haven’t bought a gift, there’s still time.
It’s Mother’s Day tomorrow - don’t panic if you haven’t brought a gift there’s still time to make something really special with the help of your garden. If mum loves cookies try baking with a flavour from the garden. Perhaps you have a plant with lemon citrus flavours that will spice up an old recipe.
A few dried and crushed leaves from the tree, lemon myrtle, Kaffir lime or the herb lemon balm; will turn cup cakes into lemony deliciousness and don’t forget to decorate the cakes with ‘love to mum’.
With Dad’s help check out the garden shed, there’s sure to be lots of old pots and containers waiting for a makeover. See what you can find to make some flowerpot figures, they look amazing when brightly painted.
Old paint tins can make a base for a bird bath and the top can be made from an old lid or pot saucer. Paint them in bright colours and decorate with floral designs.
Unloved teapots, saucepans, cups, or any container can be repurposed as plant containers. With a lick of paint, and a few holes drilled into the base you can create a pot mum will be proud to display.
A good wash and a rub down with sandpaper provides the ‘canvas’ to paint a quirky, colourful, creation. Be bright and bold, make the pot stand out with colour and design.
When dry, add some gravel for drainage and a little soil to cover the rocks but don’t fill the container.
Now the pot is prepared its time to find a plant for mum. A quick walk around the garden should discover ferns springing out of control, a large plant with an off-set than can be separated, or opportunist seedlings that have sprung up from a generous old shrub.
Collect your plants, trim the roots and any old or damaged leaves, wash them down and they’re ready to pot up.
Gently spread the trimmed roots into the new pot and sprinkle soil around the roots to cover, use a blunt stick to push the soil into any cavities. A little more gravel around the top will stop the soil from splashing out over the pot. Water deeply and leave the pot in a shady spot to drain and be ready to give to mum for Mother’s Day.
If mum is a keen gardener collect seeds from gardens close buy, put them into a small paper bag and paint their flower and name on the packet. A little bit of research and you can write some garden advice as well.
Your garden may be full of flowers, pick mum a lovely bunch of flowers that you have helped to grow this will delight mum or bring a smile to Grandma.
Make a card with dried flowers from the garden to give with your present. Select the flower and place between sheets of newspaper, place a weight on the paper and leave the flower to dry.
It’s best left for a week but overnight will still achieve a suitable pressed flower for a Mother’s Day card.
Alternatively, take a photo of you and mum in the garden or make a collage from old photos with lots of flowers around mum and you in the garden. Add a funny, flowery ditty, it’s sure to bring a giggle.
Make mum a special pot of lemony tea for Mother’s Day. Cut lemongrass stems from the garden, fold into a tight bundle, add to a china teapot, pour hot but not boiling water over the stems, allow to steep for five minutes. Place a pretty china cup on a tray, along with the teapot, cup cakes, a bunch of flowers and your handmade card and all that’s left is a big hug for mum.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums in Cairns Post Land.