By now, you've recovered from celebrating Cinquo de Mayor - just in time, too. Mother's Day is May 14 and a traditional day to give flowers. Rather than a handful of cut blooms that will be gone in a week, give a new and uncommon plant that will say, "I love you" for years. No, Hallmark didn't pay for the plug!

With the current trend in gardening going from narrow attention on individual specimens to a real outdoor living style, ease of care is a central concern. Plants must fit into the lifestyle and perform over a long season. One of those plants is Heuchera. Named for a German gentleman, however you pronounce it, Alum root or Coral Bells has come a long way from its humble woodland beginnings. The species H. sanguinea has coral red flowers, while other species have white to pale pink flowers.

A non-descript woodland perennial, Heuchera mutates readily under proper conditions. This quality has resulted in a fashionable foliage plant with leaves varying from silver through luscious apricots to deep burgundy. New varieties continue to appear in the market, supporting a wide variety of color schemes. It's also an easily grown plant that takes a bit of drought and dappled shade. They seem to be slug unfriendly. Yeah!

Q: A friend who walks with me regularly through a forested park usually carries a saltshaker for slugs. I've noticed at least three kinds: brown, black and green. Should she be salting these critters?

A: Slugs have been nominated as the Washington state birds. They're ubiquitous in Western Washing, thrive in our cool, moist climate and seem to be everywhere - especially munching fresh those Hosta leaves. Hard winters can reduce their numbers by destroying egg clutches.

The brown and black slugs are the real bad guys. They prefer fresh new growth and can decimate hostas, lilies and other tender sprouts, including garden leaf crops. Control methods include, physical, chemical and electrical. Effectiveness varies with each method and the critters are never exterminated permanently - your neighbor still harbors them!

If the slug is greenish (with or without dark spots), it's our native banana slug. This slow moving critter is no danger to lovely hostas or other tender shoots. The banana slug is part of nature's clean up crew - they eat decaying plant material, the same as a small crustacean variously called sow or pill bugs. By processing decaying plant matter, banana slugs and pill bugs help create healthy soil for stronger plants.

Please tell your friend to leave the saltshaker at home. The salt also damages the soil, kills vegetation. And there is no need to take out after the innocent banana slug.

Another important critter in the garden is those big dark hunting beetles that flourish in moist, shady plantings. As large as a thumbnail, hunting beetles eat insects, grubs, baby slugs. They also help with clean up of dead voles and other small critters.

Garden tours are on the very near agenda, so be sure to clean up a pair of good walking shoes and get out there. Please contact the Lazy Gardener with information on your favorite tour. Remember, there is always something to learn, including what NOT to do.

Do you have a question for Stephen Lamphear? Send a message to Lazy.gardener@comcast.net