Gift Ideas for Mom

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Mother's Day is almost here so the last minute rush is on find a gift to show mom you care.

Many mothers will be receiving flowers as a way to say "thank you".

Florists say the 5 most popular flowers for moms are roses, gerbera daisies, lilys, alstromerias, and carnations.

Rick Graham with Kuhn Flowers say when shopping for good quality roses look for 70 millimeter roses. That refers to the length of stem.

"They stayed on the bush longer so the bloom is bigger and will last longer," says Graham. "Many times the flowers order online are 40mm which makes for a smaller flower."

Graham recommends asking the florists or checking online to find the size of the roses.

Carnations were the original flower for mother's day. In 1958 Anna Reeves Jarvis was the first woman to hold an official celebration of mothers. In 1907 after she died, her daughter honored her mother on Mother's day with a white carnation. In later years a red carnation was given to moms who were still alive. Now carnations of all colors are given to moms.

Lilys are also very popular and come in several varieties. Graham says one of the most popular is the Calla Lily which is a elegant flower. The yellow or peach colored lilys are the Hybrid lilys. And the orange colored lilys are called oriental lilys. These are the smaller, more delicate lilys.

The Casablanca Lilys are white in color and the Stargazer Lilys are red. Both the Casablanca and Stargazers have big bloom but they are expensive. "They cost about $6 to $8 a stem but one stem will have several lilys on it," says Graham. "These lilys will also last about 10 days if watered well.

Another popular flower for mom is the Alstromerias. Graham says they come in lots of colors, have a delicate bloom and multiple flowers on each stem.

Gerbera Daiseys also come in a wide variety of colors including very bright choices. The are also an easy flower to take care of.

Graham says at Kuhn Flowers they are offering Mother's Day arrangements from $25 to $1000.

But if you want mom to have the flowers in time for Sunday. Then you'll need to order from Kuhn (and most other flower shops) by Saturday at noon. Kuhn's last deliveries before Mother's Day will be saturday afternoon.

Jewelry is always a big hit. Mayors Jewelers at the St. Johns Town Center has several pieces designed with moms in mind.

"One classic gifts for mom is pearls," says Marcie Klehm, Store Director for Mayors Jewelers at St. Johns Town Center. Mayors offers a cultured freshwater baroque strand of pearls for $495. There is also a matching bracelet and earrings.

Mayors' newest line is the Destinee Collection from Birks. It features diamond jewelry set in 18k gold. It includes a lattice bracelet for $8500 and lattice ring for $2995. There is also a lattice drop pendant for $2350 and earrings for $2995.

Klehm says another great gift for mom is a charm bracelet. Mayors has a white and yellow gold bracelet for $1995. There are a wide array of diamond encrusted charms ranging from $450 to $1450.

For the mom who is always on a schedule you can get her a diamond watch. Mayors features a stainless steel Rolex with a pink mother of pearl diamond dial.

This year many moms are going green. And there are some sweet gifts for the green mom. Green & Black's Organic chocolate offers twelve different flavors. It's made from cacao plants in the rain forest. It's grown with out chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

One of the flavors, Maya Gold, was one of the world's first products to be grant the Fair Trade mark. It's made using organic cocoa grown in Southern Belize by Maya Indian farmers. Fair Trade certified guarantees that the works aren't exploited and instead paid fairly. The farmers also receive support to give them a better quality of life and better education for their families.

Green & Black's chocolate can be found at Native Sun in Jacksonville and most Target stores.