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How to Care for Mother's Day Plants
One of the most popular Mother's Day gifts are cut flowers. Get your flowers from a trusted florist who has a reputation for long lasting fresh flowers. Flowers from department stores are rarely given the proper conditioning to last more than a few days. If you buy a fresh bunch, cut off at least one-inch of the stems before placing them in water, and remove any leaves that will be below the water line. Fill the vase at least half full of water, and mix in the floral preservative you should have received with your fresh bunch. You do not need to completely change the water, unless it looks bad, because the floral preservative will not evaporate. Just add water as needed. If your arrangement is already in a vase, simply add water as needed, you should not have to re-cut the stems. If you receive an arrangement with the flowers arranged in wet foam, check the water on a daily basis by sticking your finger on the inside of the container to check the water level. If you can't feel anything, slowly pour water into the side of the container until you can feel that it is full. A florist mum has the same foliage as the garden mums you see in nurseries in the fall, but larger and softer flowers. You can wait until it blooms out and then cut it back to 3 or 4 inches before putting in the garden. Occasional light fertilization will keep them happy. Kalonchoes are not winter hardy, but need a warm sunny place indoors to thrive. Deadhead spent blooms and expect another flush of blooms in a few months. Begonias can be placed in a part of the garden that gets morning sun and many are perennial. Most houseplants can stay outdoors in the summer in a shady spot, but keep an eye out for aphids, thrips, or mites. Most of these pests can be eliminated with a general houseplant insecticide. Don't spray anything on the plants in the heat of the day. If you received a houseplant in a plastic-lined container or basket, take it out of the basket to water or the container will hold too much water and kill the plant. I recommend repotting into a permanent container with good drainage as soon as possible. When bringing in the plants for the winter, soak the container in a bucket of water for thirty minutes to drown anything that might have set up a home in the pot over the summer. Hanging baskets need lots of water and some may need to be watered every day to continue to look good. Petunias can be deadheaded in the middle of the summer to get another flush of blooms. If you are putting your new hanging basket in the sun, be sure you know if it can handle it. Many baskets are grown in greenhouses and will burn up after only a few hours in the direct sun. Purchase from a trusted nursery source that knows how the baskets were grown and what level of light the plant prefers. If possible, repot in a larger basket so you won't have to water as often. If you are buying for mom, avoid 8-inch hanging baskets that you might find at a department store because the pots are just too small to hold enough water for the plants to survive. A 10-inch basket may cost 3 or 4 dollars more but will give mom a lot more enjoyment. Most herbs need to be planted in a sunny spot outside as soon as possible. Plant in a place close enough to the kitchen door so you can use them in different recipes.
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Around Mother's Day, most Mother's can expect to receive cut flowers, blooming plants, hanging baskets or herbs. In order to keep these gifts looking good as long as possible, here are a few tips:
