A Slightly Silly Mother’s Day Tradition

I have a silly Mother’s Day tradition — every year, I send Mr. T’s Treat Your Mother Right song to a few dear friends. It’s tradition at this point, and I’m sure a welcome surprise for them because it means I’ve taken a brief pause from digging up strange and unique gems from the internet to fill their inboxes. (An underrated skill, truly.)

That song came to mind again this week while I was in the studio working with sample blooms for this year’s Mother’s Day arrangements. 

When I came up with my tulip plan last year, I chose these three tulip varieties to go together: pink double Let’s Dance, Black Parrot, and white double Mount Tacoma. I loved the high contrast and thought they’d pair beautifully with my anemone. And now, finally, after almost a year of waiting, I’m playing with those flowers in my studio!

Right now, I'm harvesting the very last tulips of the season alongside the freshest blooms coming from the high tunnel — anemone, ranunculus, orlaya, and Solomon’s seal. This overlap feels bittersweet- I'll miss having fresh tulips on hand, but enjoying things during their season makes them special to me. 

Spring is my absolute favorite season for exactly that reason. So many wonderful things start happening all at once this time of year. We’re finally out of the dark, cold, and snowy months. The bees are busy pollinating. Gardens are filling in and greening up. Birds are returning and raising new generations. Everywhere you look, something is moving and changing.

To me, it always feels like renewal and beauty.

So for all my dear motherly — and grandmotherly — friends, this one is for you:

“Mother, there is no other like Mother, so treat her right.”
— Mr. T