Unique gifts and planters top the list for people looking for Mother's Day gifts

ZANESVILLE − The Saturday before Mother’s Day is the biggest day of the year for McDaniel’s Greenhouse.

“We’re open on Mother’s Day, too,” said Bryce McDaniel who helps run the 2725 Rix Mills Road business with his wife, Rachael, who owns it. “People tend to come with their moms or family and shop together that weekend. They make it an event. It gets them quality time with mom.”

He said every year it’s always the hanging baskets and planters that fly off the shelves for mom.

“We do a lot of custom things, unique things, with our baskets and planters,” he said. “We use old cooking pots, oven roasters, spa buckets, weird things like that, and they seem to sell well.”

He said they do several baskets with Calibrachoa plants, also known as Cali Bells, which looks like a mini petunia.

“We do those in three different colors and those just roll right out of here,” he said.

He can’t say that any color is a winner over another, but pinks, yellows, and purples do sell well.

“Every mom has a different style and taste,” he said.

Florafina’s owner Jessica Tysinger agreed.

“Mostly people want a nice spring mix,” she said of the flowers ordered from the 1416 Maple Ave. location.

“Our top special, which is very much trending this year, is light blue and light pink. We use a light blue delphinium and light pink spray roses with a touch of white and greens like eucalyptus. It’s really, really pretty.”

She said the pinks and pastels are always winners on Mother’s Day and a lavender mix is one of their other specials, as is a special with bold, vibrant colors.

“Oh, and peach,” she said. “We did throw in some peach. Peach is the color of the year.”

She said they also offer succulents. And just like Tysinger, McDaniel knows a whole lot about about them.

“Some moms prefer succulents over seasonal flowers because they can enjoy succulents all year,” said McDaniel, who said they offer up to 350 varieties of succulents. “We have a whole greenhouse dedicated to those. They sell very well for Mother’s Day. We do a lot of combination pots and those are usually gone very quickly.”

He said the succulents are good for moms who want low maintenance plants. Or who may even have a bad habit of forgetting about their plants completely.

“Neglect is the best thing for a succulent,” said McDaniel. Hot tip, he said, is to stick your finger in a succulent’s soil and if you feel any moisture at all, don’t water it. In fact, he advises waiting until it’s bone-dry.

“If it’s like a desert, then it’s probably time to water it,” he said.

The main thing to do when buying flowers for Mom is to take your time.

“Don’t get into a rush,” he said. “Take your time until you see what pops out to you and screams ‘Mom!’”

But if you’re not entirely sure of Mom’s flower tastes, then think about where the flowers are going and simply decide if that spot is more sun or more shade.“If it’s more sun, then you can’t go wrong with the Cali Bells. They’re big and beautiful. It is so stunning, any mom is going to love that,” he said.As for the shade?“A Fuchsia Dark Eyes is great,” he said. “It dangles down off the side. It’s great for front porches.”But if your mom isn’t the flower type, or she likes the traditional flowers with a contemporary twist, Tysinger said Florafino’s offers a variety of keepsake gifts that moms absolutely love.“It’s always nice for mom to have something to keep,” she said. “Our flowers will keep for 7 to 14 days but after that mom can then they have a cup, or candle, or purse.”Florafina’s sells Ohio-made Swan Creek candles, Kedzie purses and wallets, a limited-edition Starbucks Stanley’s Cup with a Starbucks gift card and three roses, plush bears with “I Love You Mom” shirts, mom and grandma-themed blankets, lavender Warmies, lavender eye masks, Coblentz chocolates, and candy bouquets.“People love to put a keepsake with the flowers,” said Tysinger, adding Florfina’s will be open Sunday for anyone needing a last-minute gift.“Look, a mom appreciates anything you give them,” said McDaniel. “The fact you’re thinking about them is what matters. It’s spending that quality time.”

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Local florists offer variety of flowers, advice for Mother's Day gifts