Brunch and bunch of lovely things to do with your mom on Mother's Day
Listen up, kids. It is not OK to just text Mom for Mother's Day.
Please, try to use a little imagination. It doesn't have to be anything expensive. I'm a mom and on Mother's Day I just want to spend time with my children or at least hear their voices on the phone. You know when they say, "It's the thought that counts?" This is especially true on Mother's Day.
In case you forgot, Mother's Day is always the second Sunday in May. That means it is this Sunday, May 8. It's the day we honor the women in our lives who loved us, wiped our butts and walked us back and forth a zillion times when we were screaming, crying babies, and later wiped away our tears and then sent us out in the world into adulthood.
Take it from this mom: Your mom just wants to be with you, and maybe do something nice together on Mother's Day, if possible. A little goes a long way with most moms. Here's a list of some low-key things to do with your Mom:
Stop and smell the lilacs
May 8, in addition to being Mother's Day, is Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.
This year, the arboretum is celebrating its 150th year and its 112 Lilac Sunday. Bring Mom along so she and the whole family can drink in the scents of 400 lilacs while walking the pathways here that are perfect for strollers and wheelchairs.
Designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted as part of the Emerald Necklace park system, the 281-acre preserve has tours, both with experts and self-guided, children's programs and more. And Lilac Sunday is the only time picnicking is allowed at the arboretum, located at 125 Arborway, Boston.
Visiting the arboretum is free, and it's open every day. Visit https://arboretum.harvard.edu/ for more information.
Take Mom to brunch
Take Mom out and make it a day where she won’t have to cook a thing. Be sure to make a reservation well ahead. Here’s a variety of brunch spots that would make many a mom happy:
Coach Grill, 55 Boston Post Road, Wayland. 508-358-5900; https://coachgrill.com/
Ken’s Steak House, 95 Worcester Road, Framingham; 508-875-4455; https://www.kenssteakhouse.com
The Verve Hotel Tapestry Collection, 1360 Worcester Road, Natick; via Eventbrite: https://tinyurl.com/32rmzym6
GlenPharmer Distillery Tasting Room & Restaurant, 860 West Central St., Franklin; 508-528-4000; https://glenpharmer.com/restaurant/
Sobre Mesa Kitchen & Bar, 29 Hudson Road, Sudbury; 978-433-1400; https://www.sobre-mesa.bar/
Morse Tavern, 85 East Central St., Natick; 508-655-7878; https://www.morsetavern.com/
Kith and Kin Food Truck outside Lost Shoe Brewing Co., 19 Weed St., Marlborough; (508) 251-9775; https://lostshoebrews.com
Brunch and a day trip: This Mother's Day, it's time to hit the road
Tiptoe among the trilliums
Present Mom with tickets to a special after-hours “Twilight Trilliums” event scheduled for May 13 at Garden in the Woods in Framingham.
“There are few wildflowers as charismatic as trillium. Instantly recognizable and widely cherished by gardeners and wildflower enthusiasts alike, they are a wonderful part of spring flora,” notes Uli Lorimer, director of Horticulture at Native Plant Trust in an announcement about the event.
Of course, you don't have to wait until May 13 to see the trilliums. They're there all the time The garden is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last admission: 4 p.m.). Regular admission is $16 for adults, $12 for seniors and students with ID, $6 for youth ages 5-17, and free for those under 5.
Twilight Trilliums is the signature event during the garden’s weeklong celebration (May 9-15) of trilliums and provides an opportunity to stroll the gardens after hours while enjoying beverages and light refreshments from Decanted Wine Trucks, a local, women-owned business, and live music by guitarist Carlos Odria.
Tickets are $30 for members, $36 for nonmembers. For more information about Trillium Week and to register for Twilight Trilliums, visit www.NativePlantTrust.org.
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Give her gardens galore
Free and open every day, dawn to dusk, each of the 19 gardens at the charming public Acton Arboretum has a unique purpose: Butterfly Garden, Wildflower Garden; Fern Garden, Rock Garden, Rain Garden, Fragrance Garden, and much more.
Located at 2 Taylor Road, at the intersection with Main Street (Route 27) in Acton, the garden has three main loops — the Orchard Loop, Wildflower Loop and the Highland/Bob Loop. You and Mom can walk together and enjoy the flora and fauna along the way. Be sure to go online first and download the trail map. Some paths and gardens are handicapped accessible, and Mom can bring her dog along if she likes.
Visit https://actonarboretum.org/ for more information.
Pick out a plant together
Instead of buying Mom flowers that will wither and die, why not get her a live plant like a rose or a perennial? Even better, take Mom along and you and she can pick out something together. Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton has acres of plants to peruse, and on Sunday the Grub Guru will be on hand where you and Mom can pick up a snack. Or, think ahead and bring Mom on Saturday to the Framingham Garden Club's spring Plant Sale & Boutique, from 9 a.m. to noon. Let her wander through the selection of flowering hanging plants, petunias and marigolds, as well as native plants that will be for sale at reasonable prices at the maintenance building at Framingham's Cushing Park. Visit http://www.framinghamgardenclub.org for more information.
Nancy Olesin is a staff writer and editor for the Daily News. Follow her @WickedLocalArts. Got a story idea? Email her at nolesin@wickedlocal.com.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Brunch and a bunch of things to do with mom on Mother's Day
