Six of our star contributors share their favourite Mother’s Day memory – and whether there’s anything they have their eye on for this year.

“My son arrived five days before Mother’s Day in 2009, and my parents were staying at ours to help out,” says health writer Lynne Hyland. “While baby and I were sleeping that Sunday morning, my mum planted a tiny pyracantha in the corner of the garden as a memory of my first-ever Mother’s Day.” Fifteen years later, the plant is still going strong. “It’s about twelve-feet tall and has punctured several footballs with its spikes, but I’d never dream of cutting it down, because I love the way it’s grown along with my son.”

Capturing those moments in time is still top of Hyland’s Mother’s Day wish list. “My daughter is always reluctant to pose for photos these days – I guess it’s a teenage thing,” she explains. “It would make my Mother’s Day if she could finally produce an up-to-date snap that met her demanding picture-approval standards, and put it in the classic double photo frame. The other half would be filled with a snap of her and my mum.” Is it too much to hope for? “I’d accept one of them together from her baby days if producing two acceptable selfies was an ask too far.”

During lockdown, when we had to contend with so many rules about going out, fragrance expert Suzy Nightingale decided to use the restrictions to do something really special. “I decided to create the feeling of a posh afternoon tea – using the best plates and cups and glasses, lovely table linens, decorating with flowers and greenery I’d picked from the garden,” she says. “I baked a lemon-drizzle cake (Mum’s favourite) and made little sandwiches (crusts cut off, of course!). We don’t do these things often enough, so I’m determined to do it again, often. Let’s make a pact never to ‘save things for best’ and use them now to create special memories.”

And if she was doing it again now? “I’d gift the Camber Soft Wash Tablecloth – along with an I.O.U. note for another fancy at-home afternoon tea with all the trimmings!”

“My favourite memory is probably the time a couple of years ago when my kids, who are now nine and 12, made me a photo montage of lovely memories of the whole family,” says features journalist Lara Kilner. “My husband was away that year, but my son saved up his pocket money to pay for a roast at the local pub.”

“If they’ve saved up this year, I would very much like them to invest in the Wellness Edit Basket for me (please… and thank you). Busy life means I need much help in all the areas of sleep, nourish, calm and restore. I do adore a good bath soak of a Sunday morning.”

Former magazine editor-in-chief Sarah Bailey keeps it simple with her choice – a Rustic Heart Oak Board. “I’m all for easy sharing boards,” she tells us. “Presented simply, but beautifully. This is the perfect piece to set the table with a little bit more love.” And it’s the simpler gifts she treasures from her boys, as well. “The funny cards my sons draw for me are unfiltered and straight from the heart. Last year, my eldest immortalised me looking like a slightly formidable Marge Simpson. The message: ‘To the G.O.A.T. Marge’” (G.O.A.T., in case you’re worried, stands for Greatest Of All Time).

Travel writer Jane Knight recalls a missed Mother’s Day with much fondness. “One year, when my son was quite young, he forgot and was mortified when his cousins teased him about it.” All was not lost, though. “That night, I found a note beneath my pillow, riddled with spelling mistakes but that still makes me smile: ‘Sory I fourgot. You are the bestest mum eva.’”

Knight wrote our feature on where to go for a weekend away this spring, which has perhaps influenced her present choice. “I’ve got my eye on the Leather Wash Bag. It oozes elegance, is the ideal size, and would be perfect for a cheeky weekend break,” she says.

Fashion editor Jess Cartner-Morley was so touched that even as her son grew up, he was still thinking of his mama. “A few years ago, my son flew to Thailand for his gap year travels a few days before Mother’s Day. It didn’t occur to me that he would have remembered – 18-year-old boys have other things on their mind – but on the day, a huge box of chocolates arrived for me. It was so sweet and such a grown-up gesture. It doesn’t seem long ago since the days of homemade cards and inedible breakfast in bed.”

When it comes to gifting on Mother’s Day, her heart is in the same place. “A scented candle is my favourite gift to give or receive. It’s such a simple way to make a home feel luxurious. The Amalfi Lemon 2-Wick Candle smells so fresh and uplifting.”