Plant for my mother...?

Question

My mother's birthday is Friday. I would like to get her a plant for her backyard. What is a pretty plant or bush that I could get her that will come back every year and that is ok to plant this late in the summer. She lives in Oklahoma if that matters. Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi Syd, I'm in OK and I can tell you that just about anything will grow here. My favorite flower is the rose and there are so many to choose from. However, I'd stay away from the Hybrid teas because the humidity here causes black spot and they don't do well with black spot.
Here are two of my favorite sites for roses:
http://www.davidaustinroses.com/american/
http://www.heirloomroses.com/cgi/browse.cgi?page=item&cat=13&item=248

Roses are not your only option. Peonies are great as are perennial hybiscus and Rose of sharon. There really are a lot to choose from.

Pics of peonies:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0Je5mwrCKVG_l8BLViJzbkF?p=peony+plants&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&x=wrt

perennial hybiscus:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=perennial+hibiscus&sp=1&fr2=sp-top&_adv_prop=image&fr=ks-ans&sz=all&ei=ISO-8859-1&SpellState=n-696784725_q-pqLm/Y5A9x7ObY3s4njJDQAAAA@@

Rose of sharon:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0Je5xaNCKVGo10AkBaJzbkF?p=rose+of+sharon&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&x=wrt

Anyhow, this is just a start. You can go to your local garden center and take a look around. You're bound to find something you and she will like. If you are also in OK then everything they sell will be appropriate for OK. If not then make sure it is suitable for zone 7.

Good luck and happy hunting

Answer 2

I was in the nursery looking for a plant for my mother in late May... They told me azaleas are a sure pleaser for "any-time-of-year" planting, and they come back every year. They do require a lot of watering, but other than that are pretty low maintenance.

I bought her deep purple ones and she loved them. I bought her some Flower Food (not necessary), but it seemed to make the color even richer... The blooms are mostly gone now, but the green of the leaves are very rich & pretty also, and I believe they are evergreen.

You can buy these in big 3-gallon pots, which look very full & lush. Just so I knew something to tell her about them, I found some info at www.azaleas.org.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

Hello, mom! I live in Oklahoma too. Here are some of the perennial plants in my yard. All of these should do OK when planted right now.

Shasta daisies. Full sun. http://www.youcanlearnseries.com/Landscape/Images/ShastaDaisy-25pct.jpg

Four o'clocks. Small shrub. Full to part sun. http://fichas.infojardin.com/foto-perennes-anuales/mirabilis-jalapa.jpg

Hostas. Shade plant. Rich moist soil. Many different colors and sizes. Likes to grow in pots. http://www.gorgetopgardens.com/ItemImages/hosta-sagae.jpg

Lantana. Comes in annuals and perennials. Full sun, dry soil. Yellow, red, or pink flowers. http://www.panacheexteriordesign.com/plants/lantana.jpg

Sedum. Full sun, dry soil. Pretty foilage and blooms in the fall. http://www.quickmire.com/Garden/img_2592_thm.jpg and http://www.mountainmeadowseeds.com/seeds/sedumautumnjoy-b.jpg

Oklahoma is mostly Zone 7, so check what you buy her to make sure it's recommended for Zone 7!

Answer 4

A beautiful shrub that I got my mother in law for Mother's Day was a flowering maple. See the website: http://www.sd1new.net/GardenPages/flowering_maple.htm
She absolutely loves it, and you have the choice of several different colors. Your local nursery should have them. I also have a variegated porcelain berry that is very pretty-a climber. http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/58738/
These are a little unusual-so my mother in law really enjoyed receiving something her neighbors didn't have. Good luck on your quest!

Answer 5

Rose Bush.