If mom isn鈥檛 a fan of breakfast in bed or chocolates, try surrounding her with flowers on the annual NIRS Mother鈥檚 Day Garden Tour.

Each year, six or seven groomed gardens in different parts of the Comox Valley are chosen to play host to 鈥渕oms鈥� bathing their special day with an explosion of colour. After the past winter鈥檚 grey skies, what could be more uplifting?

The chosen gardens this year are in the Royston/Union Bay area and as usual hosts are on hand to answer questions about layout and plantings.

While several of the gardens feature special rhodos, each has the imprint of the owner鈥檚 personal layout design and each adds special features such as ponds or unusual perennials.

One is a themed herb garden that serves a hot herbal tea; another features a winding stream bed and wall shaped from the Valley鈥檚 overabundance of rocks.

Tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, May 14. Tickets are $10 and available at Art Knapp鈥檚, Anderton鈥檚 Nursery, Home &Garden Gate, Blue Heron and Willow Market in Campbell River (some tickets are available at the gardens themselves). Each ticket has a coupon that provides an entry to a draw for a featured rhododendron.