What type and color of flowers should I buy for a mother for whom I've missed all of her birthdays, and mother's days?

That is wonderful!

A big bouquet of sunflowers. Cheery. :)

What do you want to express?
I know that the color of certain roses is supposed to denote love,friendship,etc,but I don’t know how much people pay attention to that.If you give her something like daisies,that would be more light-hearted.
I think you should just get what you think is pretty.:)
Good luck

I wish to express love, spreading across the years to make up for missed birthdays and mother’s days. :)

@squirbel -I think roses are beautiful So are orchids
I am happy for you :))

Hmmm, orchids…. Although I’m liking the “cheery” aspect of the sunflowers a lot…

Ask the advice of someone who has worked as a florist a long time, or at FTD, etc.

I think orchids are a lovely flower that IMO express love and beauty like no other flower. Congratulations on such wonderful news! I wish you the best.

Here is a link to the meaning behind flower colors. Read through them, and it should help in deciding which best represents your feelings. Let us know what color, and then it might be easier to help you pick out a flower choice.

I don’t think it matters what you buy as long as you get your mum something.

I think pink, to represent love, grace, and happiness. :)

@Lightlyseared: I always put lots of thought into normal people’s gifts – shouldn’t my mom be worth more? :(

@squirbel you say in you’re question you’ve missed all her birthdays and mothers days. I’m sure your mother would like you just to remember to get her something on time.

although in retrospect I might have missed the bit in the details about the being an adult adoptee. Sorry

I think I will get her a pink orchid.

Thanks all!

@squirbel What about a Orchid Plant for giving you the gift of life…. a plant is a symbol of continuing life and you can still go with the pink orchid

I like that validation! Thanks @creative1!

Although I love Orchids, its not a plant for just anyone to care for. Unless you know she has a green thumb, I would try to find something that is easier to care for. Plus you have to consider where she lives. I know many people who have tried but failed with Orchids.
I did find this site that list a whole bunch of flowers and their meaning. You may be able to do a combo to say what you would like to say.
http://flowercare.org/FlowerSymbolizationandmeaning.htm

I was given a cut orchid on a stem. It is amazing to me that even after 8 weeks it’s still pumping out blooms. All it has for nourishment is its stem and the water it sits in.

Another idea is that once you find out what your mother’s favorite flower is, to get a very high quality fake arrangement with that flower and color as the highlight. You can still order this from your florist. (High quality fake flowers can be so realistic it’s hard to tell the difference, while the cheaper variety is obvious with a quick glance.)

Ask about favorite flowers or colours.

I’d forget about the color and go for the quantity or quality. Talk with your florist, or the nearest meadow full of wild flowers, they’ll hook you up.

@Hibernate: I have not met her yet :)
@snowberry: I agree – orchids live under the brownest of thumbs :)
@Pandora: They must have had a really anti-green-thumb >__>

@all: I left a card and a pot of orchids with the same blooms as the day of the month that I was born – 11 – at her office. They were white, with hot-pink centers – simply beautiful. The card matched, too :)

Here’s hoping she gets in contact with me!

I really like the idea you ended up with. Best of luck! I met my birth father as an adult. If you need any advice, PM me.

What a perfect idea @squirbel. The 11 blooms is really the icing on the cake, so to speak. Really lovely. I’m sure she cried when she saw them. Very touching.