Garden-inspired gifts for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is May 10 -- only a week away. Without any procrastination, there is still time to find something special for Mom. We really should show the love every day, but on this special holiday, there can be NO excuses. This year of turbulent circumstances might demand that a simpler gift trump an expensive one, but whatever your cash flow, the importance lies in finding the perfect gift for her.

Garden moms are easy to buy for. I know, I am lucky to have one. Who wouldn't want a hand-delivered container filled to the brim with her favorite colors, a special gardening book for the woman who taught you to read -- or plant a vegetable garden with her that will extend Mother's Day into many days.

With so many different ways to acknowledge your appreciation and love, you can't go wrong with keeping gifts simple and from the heart -- for gardening moms and non-gardeners alike.
Floral feet

Shoe Fleur: A Footwear Fantasy debuts a collection of shoes of the imagination that will appeal to the gardener in Mom as well as the shoe-aholic. Photographer and artist Michel Tcherevkoff has created this fantasy collection through the magic combination of his photographs and Photoshop.

Each shoe has a unique design and is adorned with whimsical names such as "Pre-Nup," a slipper made from the virginal white lily; "Miss Tress," the sole of adult discretion, and "Frieda Kahlo," a very womanly shoe with a sturdy soul. The packaging of the book is equally as girly. The pages are surrounded by a pink plastic slipcase with a peek-a-boo window. A 16-month calendar also is available.

Shoe Fleur: A Footwear Fantasy (Welcome Books, $34.95) by Diane von Furstenberg, Katrina Fried, Michel Tcherevkoff, and Myrna Kresh.
Berry delightful

The red, thimble-sized Alpine strawberries are such a delicacy when picked right off of the plant -- no traveling time or bruising, just sunlight turned to pure sugar. The plants grow in tidy mounds making them perfect for containers or groundcover plantings, too. They should produce fruit right up to frost. This variety, 'Mignonette,' is known for its combined flavors of strawberries, roses and pineapples.