“ Pansies are cheerful and full of color . And they are hardy , surviving and thriving outdoors even if we get frost . And they look good even without wrapping paper .”

Henry Homeyer

By Henry Homeyer

I like giving pansies for Mother ’ s Day for a number of reasons . First , they are cheerful and full of color . And they are hardy , surviving and thriving outdoors even if we get frost . And they look good even without wrapping paper ( I ’ m still challenged when it comes to wrapping ).

Each pansy plant is relatively small at the beginning of the season , but they will give a nice punch of color even while they are bulking up . Pansy grower Jenny Wright of Unity , New Hampshire , tells me that pansies “ would rather be in England where it is cold and rainy .” Later , in August , they tend to sulk until fall rains come .

Perennials are good gifts , too . Right now some of my hellebores are blooming . Don ’ t know hellebores ? You should . These earlyspring beauties have evergreen leaves and come in a variety of

colors from white to pinkish to shades of purple or even green , both as singles and doubles ( with extra petals ). Hybridizers have been developing new colors because they are relatively foolproof plants .

Hellebores are plants that do fine in shade or partial shade . They prefer moist , well-drained soil but will do fine in dry shade , too . At the beginning of spring , the evergreen leaves on hellebores look pretty ratty . I ’ ve cut those back to tidy up the bed and I see that new leaves are already unfurling . I ’ d say that by May 1 the hellebores will be looking dramatic .

Another early spring flower that will look good on Mother ’ s Day has a rather unappealing common name , lungwort . I prefer to call it by its botanical name — the one used by scientists — Pulmonaria . There are actually three species of Pulmonaria , but all are very similar . Cold-hardy to minus-40 degrees Fahrenheit , they grow in full to partial shade in an ordinary garden soil of moderate fertility , but don ’ t do as well in very dry locations .

Pulmonaria is a good ground cover , one that stays relatively low and spreads by root . The flowers can stand up above the leaves by 8 to 12 inches , but the leaves are low . Most varieties sold have spotted leaves , though I have one , probably Pulmonaria Angustifolia , that does

not . Mine has absolutely iridescent blue flowers that almost seem to light up at dusk or on a cloudy day .

Marsh marigold ( Caltha palustris ) is a wildflower but is sometimes sold in nurseries . As the name implies , it grows in wet places , even in standing water . It needs a location that is at least moist all year . It is a brilliant yellow flower about two inches in diameter . It is hardy to Zone 4 , minus 30 . It is not related to annual marigolds sold everywhere .

Your mother probably doesn ’ t have marsh marigolds — most people don ’ t — so if she has some wet areas near her garden , think about finding one for her . There is a fabulous double variety called “ Multiplex ” that I planted near my stream last year . I got it at E . C . Brown Nursery in Thetford . The leaves are up , and I can ’ t wait until the blossoms appear .

Another lesser-known plant near my stream is the umbrella plant ( Darmera peltata ). This blooms in May before the giant leaves appear . It is a native — I have seen it wild along the banks of the Rogue River in Oregon — but it is not native here in the East . The pink flowers appear as drumsticks of florets on a tall stem . The leaves will stand

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