To think my mil...

[KnitFastDieWarm]

...is a bit of a star? She's just bought us a huge load of beautiful plants and planters and is currently out in the garden potting them up. I'm pregnant and knackered and having a lie down and I can hear her humming away happily in the garden. I bloody love her

She sounds lovely and you sound nice too for appreciating her.
I remember reading a thread where someone's MIL was gardening for her and the MIL was being slated as a control freak.
Its nice to hear about a good relationship.

My mil does things like that too. It's great isn't it.

I'm extra lucky and got an only child (from her anyway from his father he's not) so I get her all to myself

Laughing at the thought of my mother-in-law doing any gardening for me or for anyone else really.

But she is totes amazeballs (to quote my ten year old) in many other ways.

well yes drudgetrudy but those PILs had a nasty habit of moving in and ignoring requests not to. The poster in that case needed to say straight out that she didn't want them to do stuff, no matter how well meaning, but previous experience had taught her that even when she did, they just ignored her requests.

It's absolutely lovely when PILs do things for their DILs or SonILs but both sides have to be happy with the situation ... negotiating and respecting those limits is often the tricky bit!