As we celebrate spring, Easter and Passover, flowers make the occasions a little extra cheery and festive. Whether you are decorating your own holiday table, bringing a hostess gift to dinner, or giving a present to mom, flowers are an easy way to show you care. Potted plants can be enjoyed year after year if you plant them in your garden after they have bloomed. Over the years, my bestie/neighbor has gifted me with Easter lilies and I have given her Passover flowers. Some of the potted plants that I have received have made their way into my garden, and when I see them popping through the soil anew each spring, it warms my heart as I feel blessed to be reminded of the gift of friendship.
Let’s talk about how to care for your gifted plants. Fitting for this time of year, lilies symbolize new life and rebirth. If you have received a lily as an early spring gift, you will want to enjoy it indoors, since your lily has probably been basking in the warmth of a greenhouse and is not ready to be exposed to harsh outdoor conditions. Keep your lily well-watered, but remove the outer foil or decorative paper so that the water can drain into your sink. Lilies, like most plants, do not like soggy roots. As the flowers fade, remove the flower but keep the stem and foliage. This will allow the energy to go back into the bulb to enable the flower to bloom next year. Once we are safe from the danger of frost, plant your lily in the garden in a sunny area with well-drained soil. Don’t grow alarmed if your lily disappears, since the foliage will eventually turn yellow and die back until next year. You can hide a little popsicle stick to mark the spot where you planted your lily. Unfortunately, next year, your lily most likely won’t bloom in time for Easter or Passover. This year’s lilies have been carefully groomed to bloom early in time for the holidays. However, next year in your garden, they will bloom a few weeks to a month later. Use caution while your lily is indoors, because lilies are extremely toxic to cats. All parts of the plant are toxic to cats, even in small amounts. If you have a cat in the house, you might want to regift your lily.
A basketful of tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths will make anyone smile, and will send a wonderful scent wafting through the air. You can enjoy these flowers indoors for a few days if you must, but all of these potted bulb plants will be longing to live outside. You can place them on your porch as a welcome sight at your front door. Once the flowers fade, follow the same basic instructions as the lilies: Remove the spent flowers but keep the foliage to allow energy to go back into the bulbs, keep them well-watered, but also well-drained, then separate the different types of bulbs and plant them in your garden to enjoy next year. With some luck, the daffodils will eventually spread. If you are using daffodils as cut flowers, keep them in a separate vase of water for about a day after cutting them. Daffodils are known to release chemicals in the water that can harm other flowers, shortening their vase life. Once the daffodils have been in “time-out” for a day, dump the water out of the vase, add fresh water, and proceed to make an arrangement with other types of flowers.
Potted spring plants will be the gift that keeps on giving, since you can enjoy them now and again for years to come. Place these spring bulbs in a sunny location with well-drained soil in your garden. Eventually the foliage will yellow and then turn brown. Resist the urge to remove the unsightly leaves. If you cannot bear to look at the fading foliage, plant annuals and perennials in front of the tulips and daffodils to conceal the yellowing leaves.
Wishing you all a blessed spring, Easter, and Passover. We would love to hear about your favorite spring flowers. Send your comments, questions, and comments to: shorelocalgardener@gmail.com.
Tammy Thornton lives with her husband, children, and crazy pets while enjoying a life of gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.
