MAKING GIFTS FOR MOM

Sisters Selena and Samantha Boan each have a potted plant to give to their mom on Mother's Day. And they are especially proud of the gifts since they potted the plants themselves

The 4- and 6-year-old, respectively, were among about 25 children who sat at picnic tables Saturday morning and received instructions on potting impatiens at Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse. When the short lesson was over, the kids not only knew a little more about plants, they also had a gift to give their mothers.

"They taught them about why there is a hole in the bottom of the pot and why plants need water and that these plants need to be in the shade," said Dianna Dutton of Glen Allen, who brought her daughters Staci and Kate Brannon to the plant potting clinic.

"They also got to make a gift, which I would much rather have than something they bought," Dutton said.

Saturday's clinic is part of a series of free workshops held monthly at Lowe's. The workshops are educational, but also fun, said assistant manager Dave Quinn. The store provides the materials and instructions to make a project; the children get to take home what they made, plus a Lowe's apron.

Mothers were the intended recipients of the plant potting clinic. Dad's turn will come June 10, when the monthly workshop will have children making a tool box. Parents are encouraged to call the store at 335-6500 and register their children for each workshop so that enough supplies are on hand.

Cousins Bryan Lee, 11; Richie Seyer, 9, and Paige Russom, 6, were having a great time shoveling the soil into the clay pot, placing the impatiens plant inside, then carefully adding more soil to fill the pot.

Richie said he is an old hand at planting flowers.

"We just built a new house and I helped make the new flower beds," he said.

Paige, on the other hand, said she had never planted a flower before. Her favorite part? "Playing in the dirt," she said.

This was the second plant Alex Harris had prepared for his mother, Lisa Leimer of Jackson. He also had potted a plant in his first-grade class at South Elementary School.

Both will probably be around for a long time, since his mother said she cherishes each and every Mother's Day present he has made for her.

"Homemade presents are so special," Leimer said. "I never throw any of them away."