Plant Easter Lily Flowers

Mention "Easter flowers," and lilies, with their ivory blooms and sweet fragrance, come to mind. They are grown by the millions each year, just in time to display their blooms for the Easter season.

Whether you plan to give Easter lilies as gifts, use them to decorate your home, or replant them as part of your garden, you'll want to pick only the healthiest of flowers. Here are some tips:

• Select medium plants that are well balanced and not too tall or too short.
• Look for plants with flowers in various stages of bloom. Your best selection will have one bloom open, with the remaining buds closed or preparing to bloom.
• Check the foliage when selecting Easter flowers. Rich, green leaves mean the lily is in good health.
• In the home, lilies prefer moderately cool temperatures. Their favorite daytime temperatures are 60 to 65 degrees. Avoid placing them near drafts or excess heat. Lilies love bright, natural daylight but do not do well in direct sunlight.
• Keep the soil moist and well drained and take care not to over-water. It's best to remove the flower from any decorative foil coverings, and then water until the water begins to trickle out of the pot's drain holes. Remove the foil used in shipping to avoid waterlogged flowers and eventual root-rot.

As the mature flowers start to droop and wane, remove them leaving only the fresher, newly-opened blooms. Easter flowers are a great addition to any garden. Ready to transplant your lilies? Here's how in three easy steps:

1. Fix a well-drained garden bed in a sunny location with rich, organic matter. Use a planting mix, or a mix of one part soil, one part peat moss and one part perlite. Easter lilies must have good drainage.
2. Give the lilies a site with bright light but some shelter from extreme heat and wind. Easter lilies bloom naturally in the summer. If you plant Easter flowers outdoors in the spring, they may bloom again in summer or fall. Otherwise, plant them in the fall before the soil freezes.
3. Plant Easter lily bulbs three inches below ground level and mound up an additional three inches of topsoil over the bulb. Set bulbs at least 12 to 18 inches apart and make the hole deep dough so that bulbs can be positioned with the roots spread out and angled down. Work the soil in and around the bulbs and the roots. Water well, right after planting.