Just about everyone adds a seasonal plant to their
collection during Easter. Maybe it's a pot of tulips, a
hydrangea or an Easter lily. Soon the flowers start to
fade and then there is a big decision to make.
Do you toss them or keep them?
It's difficult but if it grows from a bulb or bulb-like
portion most should be tossed. Trying to bring tulips,
hyacinths and daffodils into bloom another years takes
almost heroic efforts. The plants need good care until
the tops die back and then there is repotting and a cold
treatment during the fall.
One exception is the Easter lily. The bulb grows and
flower another year when added to the garden. Wait until
the flowers fade and then plant the root ball in the
ground at the same depth as it was growing in the pot.
Give it normal perennial plant care. Mark the spot with
s stake as the lily dies back by early summer but starts
growth again during the winter.
Following are a few more plants you have to decide
whether to toss or keep:
Hydrangeas: Definitely worth keeping.
Enjoy in a pot until the flowers discolor then plant in an area with
morning sun and afternoon shade. Plantings need plenty of water and
a mulch.
Oriental lilies: You can try but most
do not bloom a second year. Add to the garden after the booms
shatter and treat as a perennial.
Chrysanthemum: Most rebloom fall
through spring but never as good as the original plant. Remove the
declining flower heads and keep in a pot or plant in the garden.
Gardenia: Gift plants are seldom
grafted and thus susceptible to nematodes. Continue to grow in a
container in a filtered sun location.
Orchids: Enjoy the Easter blooms and
when the flowers fade hang in a the shade of a tree.
It's never easy tossing a plant but sometimes it is
best. Just remember to keep the pot.
