AS Mothering Sunday approaches, I worry children, big and small, will be presenting mums with outrageous floral displays of affection.

You may think a busy mum of two like myself would be grateful for such a gift, however you'd be wrong.

Along with Valentine's Day, Mother's Day is one of the busiest dates in the florist's calendar. But where do they get their flowers from?

Most varieties they stock do not grow in this country, especially not in February and March. They have to be flown in from Africa in increasing quantities to keep up with demand. Those grown in Europe, mainly Holland, are cultivated in electrically heated greenhouses and fed with a cocktail of fertilisers.

Once here, they are stored in big refrigerators, delivered by lorry and packaged in cellophane and ribbon. Many of us then choose to have them delivered by Interflora, accompanied with cards and envelopes. This is wasteful, polluting and only a temporary way to show we care.

We seem more aware of buying fruit and vegetables locally and in season. However, we don't seem to be applying the same logic to flowers.

If we really must buy flowers then why not a potted daffodil or azalea, or some locally grown summer bedding plants for the garden.

Delicately scented climbers like honeysuckle, jasmine and clematis all make lovely gifts and will remind your mum of you all year round.

Better still, get the little ones to make their own flowers out of bits of paper, sticky-tape and pipe cleaners and spray them with scent. These are the flowers that mums will treasure and keep for a lifetime.

This Sunday, I urge you to put more thought into your gift and show your mum how much you really care.

SARA STAMENKOVIC, Cotswold Road, Malvern.