These botanical gifts for Mother’s Day go above and beyond a garden-variety bouquet

Fresh flowers are a classic Mother’s Day gift, but that doesn’t mean you need to deliver a ribbon-wrapped bouquet.

The current trend of bringing plants and florals into our homes has inspired flower shops and artisans to offer botanical gifts that can be enjoyed longer than your garden-variety cluster of tulips.

Instead of the typical bouquet, why not spoil a mom in your life with a botanical-inspired gift? From self-care potions and floral jewelry to where to go for a botanical day out, here are eight ideas for local, botanical-inspired gifts and experiences.

Allison Bell began experimenting with preserving the flowers and plants she collected by pressing them in books. After inheriting her grandmother’s flower press, Bell began making designs using dried flowers such as forget-me-nots, buttercups and wildflowers, encasing them in resin to create one-of-a-kind jewelry that she sells in her Etsy shop, Pressed in Thyme.

Maria Struk’s colourful hand-blown glass mini bud vases are perfect for a hand-picked posy. “After taking a glass-blowing class, I was hooked,” said Struk, who runs Maria Ida Designs, a Vancouver blown glass production company. “I love working with unique colour combinations that are bright, cheerful and bold.” Find Struk’s glass creations in her Etsy shop and stockists such as Pictus Goods in Toronto.

Stationery designer Ashley Baker was looking for a way to make cards more environmentally friendly. She discovered seed paper that could be planted in soil, creating beautiful wildflowers and giving a new life to old cards. The choice to use seed paper was easy, said Baker. “It’s environmentally friendly and prolongs the sentiment of receiving a card.” The seeds are a blend of six wildflowers. There are annuals and perennials, including some pollinators for bees and butterflies. Pair a Mother’s Day card with a Grow Your Own Card Kit, which has everything you need to grow the card yourself at home, including a 3D printed planter made from plant-based materials and a dehydrated soil wafer. See thegoodcard.ca.

Mikael Walter-Campbell makes soap and other natural body care products using herbs and botanicals from their small urban garden. The collection includes everything from botanical-infused soaps, salves and bath soaks to facial masks, lip butter and face oils. Green thumbs will love the new sage, lemon and sea moss gardener’s soap and salve made with raw Ontario beeswax and a blend of oils infused with botanicals to soothe hands. See sageandthistlehandmade.ca.

Hereward Farms is a family-run lavender farm near Orangeville. The farm-to-skin body and home line is made in small batches using lavender grown on the farm. The spa-quality collection includes the Love Your Mama Bundle, a care package including face serum, bath salts, a candle, bath sachet, bath bomb and a lavender plantable bookmark.

Euclid Farms is a small-scale urban flower farm and floral studio located in Toronto’s Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood. Founder Shannon Whelan started growing flowers in the backyard and her hobby soon expanded to growing flowers in local residential yards. Whelan opened the Euclid Farms store in 2020, selling fresh and dried flowers, apothecary items, ceramics, confections, cards and other curated items, making great gifts for flower lovers. Give the gift of a garden of edible flowers with the Strathcona Edible Flowers Seed Kit or the Strathcona Urban Apothecary Kit.

Toronto chocolatier Laura Slack is known for beautiful and unique flavours, including chocolate bars infused with botanical flavours such as candied violet milk chocolate and candied rose milk chocolate — each bar is hand-wrapped in authentic Japanese Chiyogami paper. Available online at Laura Slack or at their store Maisonette at 12 Tankhouse Lane in the Distillery District.

Celebrate mom with the prettiest of cocktails. Victoria, B.C.-based Empress 1908 crafts a unique gin that pairs traditional juniper notes of a London Dry with a modern flavour profile. Its distinct indigo colour comes from butterfly pea blossoms and changes to soft pink, lavender or fuchsia, depending on the mixer. Available at the LCBO.

Give the gift of a botanical day out. In the city, visit Toronto Botanical Garden. How about brunch and a visit to the Toronto Flower Market, a monthly outdoor market starting May 7. Make it a day trip: Country Cut Flowers just outside Newmarket hosts cut-your-own flower days at the farm. Watch their website and Instagram for dates and ticket information. W
histling Gardens in Norfolk County features 22 award-winning botanical gardens and a peony collection featuring 1,300-plus varieties, which should be in peak bloom from the end of May through mid-June.

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