Mother’s Day Mix and Match
The model mum is the one everyone is jealous of and secretly wants to be. In the plant world that has to be the Moth Orchid… sophisticated and dramatic, it looks great everywhere and always gets a second look.
Happy Camper Mum is adaptable, cheery and resilient. She bounces back after small mishaps and makes others around her feel better about themselves. Her natural garden match is the rubber tree, or Ficus elastica.
The super fit, activewear mum that spends her mornings in the gym (can be a little intimidating for the fuller figured mums) and is flexible, thin and fast. Her plant match is the tally and willowy bamboo palm.
The on top of everything mum. She is coordinator of the netball team, on the P&C and spends her days running a multinational company. It’s no surprise that the umbrella tree is her pot plant tribute.
The earth mother is another mum we aspire to be. She makes bread for her kid’s lunches, does homemade hummus, and knits them jumpers from home spun and hand dyed lama wool. Her spirit plant is the native lemon myrtle – perfect for tea, screening the neighbours and a natural insecticide.
The contented mum is just that. She has done her job, is satisfied with that, and is now reaping the rewards. Her soul mate is obviously the Happy Plant. No fuss, just results, time after time.
The ‘way too busy and slightly out of control’ mum always has an interesting project on the boil. You get dizzy thinking about how she does what she does or imagine half the stuff that she conjures. The perfect paring for her is a Pothos or Devil’s Ivy, which comes in gold, green, marbled white, flecked green and loads of other crative combos. It is versatile too, and will trail, climb, grow in water or
The friendliest mum is the one all the kids like going to see. She bakes, knows great jokes and lets her hair down on occasion with you. She can mend friendships, fix broken toys and help you mediate the toughest times. Her totem plant is the Peace Lily.
The grandmum is a very precious lady; cherished, loved and revered. Her garden match is the Lady Palm, which is elegant, long lived and adaptable.
Mother-in-law? There is even a plant named after you…the Mother-in-law’s-tongue, or Sansevieria, which perhaps slightly cruelly has a sharp point! On the up side, they are hardy, gorgeous, and right on trend and grow just about anywhere.
The brand new mum doesn’t have time to fuss over plants, as she is flat out feeding, sleeping, changing etc…and that’s just her, not even the baby’s needs. She deserves a Monstera or fruit salad plant. They look after themselves, and will still be around growing happily even when the kids leave home. That’s commitment!
By: Meredith Kirton
