We hope you had a great Easter!

LIGHT
These plants do best in bright, indirect light

WATER
Easter lilies do best in moderately moist soil. Water them thoroughly when the soil surface is dry to the touch. Do not allow the plants to stand in water.

TEMPERATURE
Display the plants in rooms that are kept at 65 F to 70 F during the day and 50 F to 60 F at night. Avoid placing the plants near drafts or heat sources. Easter lilies can be stored from three to five days at 33 F to 35 F; extended storage can cause leaf yellowing. After removing the plants from coolers, allow them to warm up overnight in 55 F rooms. Water the plants with lukewarm water (100 F to 110 F) after they are removed from coolers.

HUMIDITY
Mist the leaves occasionally.

REBLOOMING
After flowering, keep the plants in well-lit locations and continue watering them as the foliage matures. In late spring, plant Easter lilies in the garden. They may reflower later in the summer, but most likely, new blooms won’t appear until the following summer.

CAUTION
Lilies’ pollen can stain clothing and furniture. To protect against staining, remove the yellow anthers (pollen-bearing pods) found in the center of each flower as soon as each bloom opens.

More about the Easter Lily

BOTANICAL NAME
Lilium longiflorum
(LIL-ee-um lawn-ji-FLOR-um)

COMMON NAMES
Easter lily, Trumpet lily, Bermuda lily

DESCRIPTION
This bulb plant, with its white, trumpet-shaped blooms, is a traditional symbol of Easter. The stems can grow to 3 feet high and carry three to eight flowers each, on average. The blooms are 5 to 7 inches long. The fragrance is moderately sweet.

COLOR
White.

DECORATIVE LIFE
These plants usually bloom for one to two weeks.

AVAILABILITY
Easter lilies are available primarily in the spring. Bulbs are harvested in the fall and shipped to commercial greenhouses, where they are planted in pots and forced, under controlled conditions, to bloom for the Easter holiday.

WHAT’S IN A NAME
The name “longiflorum” means “long flowers.” It is the Latin form of the Greek “leiron” (used by the ancient Greek philosopher and botanist Theophrastus for the Madonna lily,
L. candidum).

FAMILY
These plants are members of the Liliaceae family. Common relatives include Fritillaria, Gloriosa, hyacinth, lily-of-the-valley and tulip.

HOME SWEET HOME
Easter lilies are native to the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan.

HISTORY
U.S. production of Easter lilies began when Louis Houghton, a World War I soldier, brought a suitcase full of hybrid lily bulbs to Oregon in 1919 and distributed them to horticultural friends and neighbors.

Source: Super Floral Retailing

A little extra care can make a big difference!

Keep the vase filled with water containing floral food provided by Blossom Town. Be sure to follow the directions on the package.
If the solution becomes cloudy, replace it entirely. If possible, re-cut the stems by removing 1/2 inch to one inch. Remove leaves that will be below the waterline. Leaves in water will promote bacterial growth that can harm the flowers.

Essentials for your Flowers

Keep them in a cool spot (65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit; 18 to 22 degrees Celsius), away from direct sunlight, heating or cooling vents, direct drafts from a ceiling fan, and the tops of televisions or radiators. (Appliances like televisions give off heat, causing flowers to dehydrate.)

A tip when making your own tree top container, water them in when done.  That will freeze everything in place for those windy and snowy days!

With proper care, you can maintain the quality of your fresh cut tree. Here are a few tips on how to keep your Christmas tree fresh for the Holidays.

Before you place your tree in a stand, cut the base of the tree, about a 1/2 inch from the bottom. Make the cut perpendicular to the stem axis. Do not cut the base at an angle as this will make it more difficult for the tree to stand and keep watered.

After you cut the tree, place it in plain tap water as soon as possible. Do not get the tree trunk dirty or bruise the fresh cut surface.

If needed, a tree can be temporarily stored in a cool location for several days, but if you have cut the tree be sure to put it in a pail of water first.

Use a stand that fits your tree. Do not use a stand that has to be cut or trimmed to fit in the stand.

Your tree stand should allow 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter.

Check the stand each day, the water level should not go below the base of the tree.  Be careful to watch as some stands may still have water in it but the base of the tree is not submerged in water.

Keep the water level at a constant at all times, checking it daily. A fresh tree can go through up to a gallon of water a day.

When displaying your tree, keep it away from heat sources such as heat vents, fireplace, TV’s and direct sunlight.  This will reduce the risk of fire and help prevent the tree from drying out.

The use of mini-lights can help reduce the heat to the tree.  Do not overload electrical circuits with lights and extension cords.

Take down and remove the tree from your home before it dries out.

Summer containers are are a fun and decorative way to display your flowers and plants.  Care for your containers is essential, here’s a great tip from Brad in the green house!

To check for watering, stick your index finger into the soil to your knuckle. If you feel any dampness, hold off on watering. If it feels completely dry, go ahead and water making sure you let the water run all they way through the container. If the water runs through very quickly, repeat the procedure in about an hour.