Mother’s Day will be here soon, on Sunday, May 12. It’s not too soon to start planning a celebration with the mothers in your life.

For those who love gardening and gardens, consider treating your mom to a garden club sale or a secret garden tour. On Saturday, May 11, the La Jolla Garden Club will be hosting its annual Mother’s Day sale on the patio outside Chase Bank at 7777 Girard Avenue from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The club offers potted plants, topiaries, succulent arrangements, as well as baked goods and gift items with a garden theme. Here you can pick up some gift items for your special gardeners or bring your mother and then treat her to brunch or lunch or an afternoon of shopping. Proceeds from the Garden Club’s sales support civic projects and horticultural scholarships.

You can also sign up for the popular Secret Garden Tour of La Jolla to be held the following Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 4. p.m. This will be the 15th annual tour sponsored by the La Jolla Historical Society. You can order your tickets online and pick up the self-guided tour booklet on Friday or Saturday at the society’s location at Wisteria Cottage on Prospect Street. The tour includes six gardens located throughout La Jolla. In addition to unique landscaping and tour guides, each garden includes musicians, artists, and refreshments and plants for sale. You can also sign up for the Platinum Tour, which includes brunch at Estancia La Jolla Hotel, transportation and one extra garden.

For families who enjoy brunching together, several La Jolla restaurants and hotels are catering to mothers on their special day.

The Museum Café at the Museum of Contemporary Art on Prospect serves brunch from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. In addition to salads, soups, and spring specials such as artichoke lasagna, you can enjoy several varieties of pancakes and egg dishes, from all-American scramble to La Jolla omelet to huevos rancheros. After brunch or lunch, enjoy the museum and the museum gift shop. The museum offers guided tours at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
One of La Jolla’s newest restaurants, Herringbone, is offering a special Mother’s Day brunch, with complimentary roses. Here you can enjoy champagne, designer cocktails, and a full menu of appetizers, entrees and desserts. Popular choices include the Eggs Benedict with confit pancetta, spinach, potatoes and hollandaise and the Warm Hazelnut Sticky Bun glazed with cream cheese frosting.

For families who enjoy sitting next to the beach and the waves, The Shores is a great brunch destination. On Mother’s Day, The Shores will be offering a special brunch from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mothers can choose from a full brunch, lunch, or dinner menu and relax knowing their children have a special station to appeal to smaller appetites. The Mother’s Day brunch includes bakery items, pancakes, appetizers (including cheeses and small salads), egg dishes, main courses (such as poached salmon, prime rib, wine braised chicken) and desserts (including marble chocolate cake, organic lemon tart, peach blackberry cobbler).

Another brunch venue overlooking the ocean at the Cove is Brockton Villa. This Mother’s Day, Brockton Villa is offering a Queen Bee Special, which includes unlimited coffee, tea or soda, as well as specialty coffee drinks, cocktails, mimosas, wine, and beer, and a choice of entrée. The restaurant is known for its soufflé-like Coast Toast and also offers the Cove Combo, Naughty Burritos, breakfast croissant sandwich, carne asada benedict, and crab, lobster, pork and vegetarian dishes.

The Marine Room also offers a spectacular ocean view, with the waves just on the other side of the windows. The popular restaurant is honoring mothers with a special a la carte menu featuring organic sweet corn blue crab bisque, Skuna Bay salmon, Colorado lamb osso buco, Carlsbad strawberry and peach Cobbler, and more.

The Mediterranean Room at La Valencia Hotel provides three locations to enjoy Sunday brunch – the casual patio, main dining room and ocean view terrace. Brunch includes champagne and signature cocktails, and a full range of egg dishes, pancakes, fruit plates, salmon and crab, salads and a dessert buffet.

If you’d like to start your Mother’s Day celebrations early, consider Mom’s Night Out Mother’s Day Event at Rappongi. The restaurant is hosting the event on Thursday, May 9, from 7 to 9 p.m. It will feature chocolate and wine pairings, light appetizer fare, and mini spa treatments.