Fed up with buying Mum the same old presents every year? Our guide to unusual gardening gifts for Mother’s Day goes beyond generic flowers, chocolates and trinkets and delves deep into gifts that encompass surprise, personalisation and memory-making.

What Makes an Unusual Mother’s Day Gift?

A unique Mother’s Day gift doesn’t have to be extravagant (although we’re sure Mum won’t mind if it is!). Instead, it needs to be thoughtfully chosen, unexpected, or even handcrafted to demonstrate just how much Mum means to you.

•    A bespoke decorated flower pot planted with summer-flowering bulbs for a gift that lasts longer.
•    Home-made carrier for garden tools, along with some shiny new secateurs  
•    A beautiful outdoor cushion or blanket in her favourite colours, for relaxing at home or in the garden.
•    Personalised or home-made gardening apron.
•    A photograph depicting happy memories, displayed in a personalised frame.
•    A picnic set with the promise of a day trip when the weather improves
•    Afternoon tea at the garden centre to mark the day
•    A visit to an open garden. 
•    A small hamper of her favourite luxury, locally sourced foods.
•    A carefully decorated homemade cake.
•    A carefully selected plant with a shape, colour or name that will really mean something to the recipient.
 

Why People Look For Unusual Mother’s Day Gifts

These days, we are all bombarded with ads and articles suggesting the perfect gift for Mother’s Day. Quite frankly, that can be overwhelming and exhausting for the giver and result underwhelming gifts for the recipient. More and more people are steering away from gifting generic ‘stuff’ and looking for unusual Mother’s Day gifts that bring genuine and long lasting pleasure to the receiver.

True, it’s not easy to find a present for the ‘Mum who has everything’ and that’s why we’ve created this guide to unusual gardening gifts. After all, offering similar gifts year after year can reduce the emotional impact over time.

How Unusual Gifts Create Stronger Emotional Impact

Put yourself in your Mum’s shoes for a moment. There she is, looking forward to hearing from you on Mother’s Day and half expecting the usual posy of flowers or box of chocolates. Now from Mum’s point of view, any token of your affection will be very welcome indeed. But imagine her surprise when you present her with something completely unexpected. She’ll certainly not forget THIS Mother’s Day in a hurry!

Unusual gifts are a strong indication of affection. They show effort and creativity, and the fact that you recognise that Mum is an important person whose taste and personality is at the very core of the Mothers’ Day celebrations. A well thought out gift, is far more important to most Mum’s than an extravagant one - particularly when everyone’s budget is already stretched to the limit with the cost of living.
 

Experiences as Unusual Mother’s Day Gifts

Combining an experience with a Mother’s Day Gift is one of the best ways to make memories with Mum. Perhaps you can’t be with her on the actual day but want to relish spending a few hours together at a later date? Or maybe you know that Mum values time together far more than she does ‘stuff’.  Experience gifts for Mother’s Day needn’t be adventurous (unless of course that’s what she loves!). Consider a voucher for afternoon tea, a crafting experience or the promise of a day out when the weather improves.

Memorable Mother’s Day gifts are the ones that ‘think outside the box’, stimulate the brain and will be reminisced about far into the future. 

Personalised Gifts That Feel Unexpected

True personalisation is more than adding names and dates to an item - it’s about reflecting shared memories and meanings. A personalised photo frame, for example, is a million times better when it contains a really special image.

• How about buying Mum a plant that evokes memories of a particular time, place or event?
• Maybe an apple tree to remind her of the time you got stuck up a tree when you were four years old?
• Or a scarf depicting her favourite breed of dog.
• What about a jigsaw puzzle with a picture of somewhere you visited together?

When you start to think about it, there are lots of options for personalised Mother’s Day gifts.

Unusual Gifts for Mums Who Have Everything

We all know someone who is already surrounded by possessions and really doesn’t ‘need’ anything. They’re a challenge to buy gifts for doesn’t it feel fabulous when you hit that sweet spot?

The trick to buying for mums who have everything is to focus on moments, memories, creativity or flexibility. For these ladies, thoughtfulness is probably less important than usefulness.

• How physically active is Mum? Would she like to visit somewhere new with you, or would she prefer to revive memories through photographs, stories or film? 
• How about an afternoon spent crafting together? 
• Maybe you could help her to re-imagine and refresh a planter or a window box?
• A voucher alongside a carefully written note or a handmade card offers a flexible gift and marks Mother’s Day in a truly personalised way.

When an Unusual Gift is a Better Choice Than A Traditional Present

Some Mums love a traditional present. They look forward to their Mother’s Day bouquet and eagerly anticipate their sweet treats. Other Mums can’t wait to discover how creative their offspring have been this year. Which category does your Mum fall into? Only you can know that for sure. But it’s probably best to be sure that surprises are not too far out of your recipient's comfort zone.

• Their first ever Mother’s Day - obviously it won’t be Baby doing the shopping so here’s an opportunity for friends and relatives to mark the occasion on the little one’s behalf.
• The first Mother’s Day as a grandmother.
• After moving into a new home
• In a ‘special’ birthday year
• As a tribute to a Mum who has recently passed away
• For a Mum who has gone the extra mile to support someone
• If Mum has recently overcome incredible difficulties or is battling ill-health
• To restore balance when relationships have been feeling strained

Every Mum is different and Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate her uniqueness with a well-thought-out and original gift. But remember - unusual and risky are not the same thing at all. What will you buy/make for your Mum this year?
 

Frequently Asked Questions About Unusual Mother’s Day Gardening Gifts