For the mother who loves wine, opt for some local, biodynamic or organic selections. A  will ensure your wine is both delicious and carbon-light.

If you live in or near California, then you’ve got a great selection of local wines in your back yard. California is especially famous for fantastic vineyards such as the Landmark Vineyard in Sonoma. Landmark’s Syrah is an excellent complement to any romantic dinner. With, “dark plum, peach and black raspberry fruit, roasted coffee bean, chamois and vanilla,” the wine is sure to work well for a decadent desert too.

Other popular domestic wines come from such wineries as the Frey Vineyard of Mendocino County, the Bonterra Vineyard also of Mendocino County and Ravenswood, a popular vineyard in Sonoma Valley.

Another sweet treat comes from BloomsToday. These gourmet sugar cookies decorated as hearts and flowers come in a reusable silver tin. Choose from organic vanilla, chocolate or a lovely mix of vanilla and chocolate. And we all know that Mother’s Day isn’t complete without chocolate. But before we give the gift of the gods, lets not forget that chocolate is often bittersweet.

As a recent article in Fortune called out, many conventional chocolate companies have been found to source their cocoa from farms that lack sound labor laws and environmental policy. Chocolate that is both organic and Fair Trade Certified, however, is guaranteed to come from environmentally conscious farms that harvest in a sustainable manner while following strict humanitarian standards.

For the mother who prefers sweet treats to sweet smelling flowers opt. for 1-800-Flower’s Organic Gourmet Sampler Basket. The perfect combo of organic goodness, this sampler basket comes with non-processed pretzel sticks, chocolate cookies, ginger snaps, organic cheddar cheese crackers . . . what could be better? Adorably arranged in a traditional natural drop-handle basket, the assortment even comes with a chocolate coffee bar, chocolate-cinnamon crisps box and dark chocolate espresso-vivani. If your mother is a chocolate lover (like me) then she’ll love this. If you’re Valentine is a bit more health conscious the basket also comes with spicy herbal tea sachets, banana chips and organic spicy brown mustard. All in all, a sensational selection of snack foods she won’t feel guilty about.

Flowers are beautiful, but they only last a week. Even better than local organic flowers is a gift that grows over time. Why not give your mom something to grow and care for . . . just like she once cared for you.

Get creative. Put together a little planter pot filled with soil, some seedlings and organic plant food (complete list here). For soil and plant food in one, I recommend Scotts Organic Choice Potting Soil. A popular choice amongst indoor gardeners, Scotts is meant specifically for container plants and window boxes. The homemade gift will provide her with fresh scents, beauty and enjoyment for ages. Give her herbs and she’ll be able to use on them your favorite dish—truly the gift that keeps on giving.

The best part is that homegrown flowers and plants cut back on both hers and your carbon footprint. By going local—and what could be more local than her kitchen windowsill—she’ll avoid purchasing foreign flowers that come with hefty carbon emissions generated from transportation and shipping.

Wouldn’t your mother prefer a bouquet of chemical-free roses to a bunch of pesticides?

I know mine would.

A great way to show mom you care is with a beautiful and locally sourced arrangement of organic and/or fair-trade flowers. Search your area for a local and organic farm. You’ll cut down on carbon emissions without supporting those factory farms that douse their crop with insecticides, fungicides, growth regulators while fumigating with toxic methyl bromide.

Top off local organic flowers with a beautiful handmade glass vase. Eco-conscious co., Grandin Road offers hand-blown glass vases, that inspire infinite decorating options. Unlike the flowers, these vases will last forever.

Once the flowers have wilted, she can fill each vase with seashells, potpourri, pebbles, even bits of sea glass. By combining all three vases for an artistic arrangement or separate for a minimalist statement. Whatever she chooses, the sculptural glass will always hark back to your special Mother’s Day surprise.

Ok, ok, I’ll admit it. Mother’s Day was born from the corporate strategists at Hallmark, but who wants to be a grinch . . . especially when it comes to your mother, the woman who gave you life and . . . well . . . pretty much most of hers? I say, honor thy mother by honoring nature. And vice versa. This Mother’s Day pamper her without paining the planet. There are plenty of options. Stay tuned for the best in green gifts your mom will love.

The Common Threads Garment Recycling program is a fantastic success and has received worldwide recognition, inspiring other companies to do the same and make use out of discarded goods. I encourage you to donate your old, worn-out garments. It’s easy, just wash items first and pop them in the mail to:

Patagonia Service Center
ATTN: Common Threads Recycling Program
8550 White Fir Street
Reno, NV 89523-8939

If you live near a Patagonia Retail Store then drop them off directly–ideally, while you’re running other errands, to reduce environmental impact.

The Common Threads Program accepts:
- Patagonia fleece (including Synchilla® and Regulator® insulation)
- Polartec® fleece from other manufacturers
- Capilene baselayers
- Patagonia cotton T-shirts

Please note buttons, zippers and snaps do not need to be removed in advance. They come off in the recycling process.

In 2005, Patagonia launched the world’s first garment recycling initiative. Common Threads Garment Recycling Program is a system through which customers may return worn out clothing in exchange for discounts on Patagonia products.

The worn out garments are run through an innovative recycling process in which they are repurposed into polyester, which can be used for second-generation performance wear.

The program creates a full-loop of environmental responsibility. Rather than simply selling products produced from recycled materials, Patagonia creates an infinite cycle of reuse by reabsorbing materials back into its supply chain. This cuts back on virgin oil wasted, natural resources squandered and the discarding of clothing in the landfill or incinerator.

The Women’s Capilene 1 Scoop is a popular product made from 100% post-consumer recycled Capilene through Patagonia’s Common Threads Recycling Program. According to research sponsored by Patagonia, “the environmental impact of recycling worn-out Capilene base layers into new polyester fiber is significantly lower than making that same fiber from virgin materials. Taking into account that worn-out garments are diverted from trash incinerators, making new polyester fiber from recycled garments results in an energy savings of 76% and a CO2 emissions [greenhouse gasses] reduction of 71%, versus creating that fiber from new raw material.”

When the best in natural and organic materials isn’t good enough, Patagonia gets creative. The company regularly sends design engineers to work with and help suppliers invent environmentally sound fabrics. In many cases these fabrics are made from recycled materials.

Take for example Patagonia’s signature: fleece, Capilene base layers and Regulator insulation garments. All are made from various combinations of post consumer recycled plastic soda bottles, unusable second quality fabrics and worn out garments.

Patagonia Men’s El Cap Pants are made from recycled plastic.

There are many substantial benefits to making items out of recycled materials. For one, the process curbs discards, therefore reducing toxic emissions from incinerators while preventing the continued overflow of landfills. As landfills seep, this prevents the overall contamination of air, water and soil. Most notably, recycling post consumer plastic decreases dependence on oil.

I used to assume that cotton was as natural as could be. It comes from a plant—what could be more natural? As it happens, however, very little is pure or natural about the conventional cotton sold by mainstream retailers.

Conventional Cotton uses approximately 25% of the world’s insecticides and more than 10% of the world’s pesticides, making it the second most pesticide-laden crop after coffee. (source: Allen Woodburn Associates Ltd./Managing Resources Ltd., “Cotton: The Crop and its Agrochemicals Market,” 1995.) From a humanitarian perspective, there are several reasons one should avoid purchasing conventional cotton. To start, cotton is a water-thirsty crop. It also tends to grow in third world countries where labor and human rights are often overlooked for the bottom line. Many third world countries don’t even have enough water for their citizens. When cotton-growing retailers usurp vital water supplies, water becomes an influential political tool.

For these reasons, Patagonia converted its entire sportswear line to 100% organically grown cotton. Popular items include the company’s line of Lightweight Everyday Socks — and the Men’s Lightweight Stand up Shorts.

Lightweight Everyday Socks

Patagonia Men’s Lightweight Stand Up Shorts