Give your mom a window garden. You don't even have to wrap it.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—You know that Mother’s Day is on Sunday, right? It’s time to honor your mom even more than you do on the other 364 days of the year. But take it from me: Your Mom doesn’t need any more STUFF! What she really wants is some quality time with her favorite people…and perhaps a day off from her routine chores. If you can make those things happen, you’ve got a lock on Son or Daughter of the Year. Beyond that, here are a few suggestions that will please moms who are tired of finding room on the shelf for another tchotchke, please our Mother Earth by not trashing and polluting her, and save you some pocket-green all at the same time.

Cards are probably the most common Mother’s Day accoutrement. If your mom’s online and an active e-mailer, you can send an e-card instead of adding more paper to the waste stream (yes, it may take years, but eventually your mom does throw out the cards you send her). Or make a card from found items and write a personal note to put inside. Can’t think of anything special to write? Inspire yourself by looking at online poetry and quotation sites, most of which will let you search for mom-themed writing.

Flowers probably come a close second to cards in frequency of presentation on Mother’s Day. And after all, what could be nicer than flowers? Flowers that haven’t been sprayed with toxic pesticides and flown halfway around the world—that’s what! If you have a garden and live close by, make a bouquet from your finest blooms. If not, visit your local farmer’s market and buy a locally grown and organic bunch, or call around to see if any area florists stock organic, fair-trade, or local selections. If Mom is too far away for you to make the delivery yourself, try ordering organic through an online supplier such as www.organicbouquet.com, or FTD’s organic and fair-trade selections.