Cool mother day gift

SHOPPING

* PLANTS FOR MOM. This Mother's Day, give a blooming gift that lives on for weeks or years. Every time she waters it, she'll think of you. Some lovely choices include azalea, calla, hydrangea, moth orchid, Oriental lily, rhododendron, and rose.

* ROSES. If you're having trouble finding a particular rose bush that you saw in someone's garden, check www.findmyroses.com. This website provides retail and mailorder sources for more than 6,100 varieties and species. Amity Heritage Roses (Hydesville; 408/768-2040 or www.amityheritageroses.com) and Michael's Premier Roses (Sacramento; 866/352-7673 or www.michaelsrose.com) are two of the sources you'll find there; they ship year-round.

PLANTING

* DWARF LAVENDER. For compact varieties to plant in containers or in the front of a border, try 'Grosso' (violet; 18 inches tall), 'Hidcote Compact' (violet blue; 12 to 15 inches tall), 'Jean Davis' (soft pink; 16 inches tall), 'Martha Roderick' (violet; 18 to 24 inches tall), and 'Nana Alba' (white; 8 inches tall). These varieties are available at nurseries or by mail from Nora's Nursery (phone and fax 360/379-3920 or www.norasnursery.com).

* SUMMER FLOWERS. Zones 7-9, 14-17: Set out sixpacks or 4-inch plants of ageratum, coreopsis, dahlia, gaillardia, globe amaranth, impatiens, lobelia, Madagascar periwinkle (vinca), marigold, nicotiana, penstemon, perennial statice, petunia, phlox, portulaca, salvia, sanvitalia, sunflower, sweet alyssum, torenia, verbena, and zinnia. Zones 1-2: Wait to set out warm-season annuals until after last frost. You can still plant cool-season flowers, such as calendula, pansy, and sweet pea.

MAINTENANCE

* AERATE COMPACTED LAWNS. If the soil under your lawn is hard and water doesn't penetrate well, it's probably time to aerate. You can rent an aerator from an equipment supply store (look in the yellow pages under Rental Service Stores & Yards). Rake up the cores and top-dress with a fine mulch, such as compost. If you haven't fertilized recently, apply a lawn fertilizer and water in well.

* MULCH. A 3-inch layer of mulch around trees and shrubs helps retain soil moisture, suppresses weeds, and keeps the soil cooler, To cover 100 square feet to a depth of 3 inches, you need 1 cubic yard (or 27 cubic feet) of mulch. For smaller shrubs and perennials, apply a 1 to 2 inch layer (9 to 17 cubic feet) around plants.

* THIN FRUIT. Zones 7-9, 14-17: In most years, apple, Asian pear, nectarine, and peach trees need excess fruit thinned so remaining ones develop to a good size. Gently twist them off, leaving 4 to 6 inches between fruit. Thinning may also help reduce insect and disease problems, since it eliminates touching fruit (insects can migrate from one to another) and improves air circulation around them. Zones 1-2: Thinning should be done in early summer.

RELATED ARTICLE: BACK TO BASICS

Summer lawn watering. To irrigate effectively with an underground system, you need to know how evenly your sprinklers deliver water. Check your system by placing a number of equal-size cans around the lawn, at regular intervals outward from the sprinklers. Turn on the water for 15 minutes, then turn it off and measure the amount of water in each can. If the containers fill unevenly, check the sprinkler heads: they may need adjusting or replacing.

- L.B.S.