Sunday, July 22, 2012

Sunday Morning Sundae Bouquet and Why are my Calla Lilies turning Green?

I decided to cut off the one tiny little Forever & Ever hydrangea bloom that my 4 YEAR OLD PLANT produced. I wanted to bring the flower inside so I could at least find some pleasure in that DUD purchase.
The bloom was an even tinier than I thought, so I also brought in one phlox stem to beef it up a bit.  Are you wondering what could possibly be done with just two flowers?

Well, how about this cute little sundae bouquet?
It doesn't get much easier than that.

"Why are my calla lilies turning green?" is a question I see often when I check the terms googled to find my blog. 
The answer is simple.
When the calla lily turns green, it's blooming life is over.  In a few days it will look like this one:
Not a pretty sight. I try to snip the bloom off before it becomes an eyesore. Just go down as low as you can and cut it off.
Callas only bloom for about three weeks and they are finished for the year. That is why I plant them in containers with other flowers to take over once they finish. Their interesting spotted leaves last all season, so they are still making a nice contribution to the overall container display.
Another popular question is "Do calla lilies need to be deadheaded?"  I say yes. Deadheading helps the corm save energy for next year.  If you don't deadhead, the lily gets very heavy with seeds and falls over making a big mess. 

I hope that helps those of you searching for answers.



8 comments:

  1. They're very pretty and at least it's great looking foliage. They of course look lovely in your containers.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

    ReplyDelete
  2. You really make me want to try calla lilies...if you can grow them Up North, I can grow 'em down here. I've never tried b/c I always figured I'd forget to bring them in for the winter =) Yours are beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm glad you brought the flowers IN to enjoy. I'm guilty of leaving the blossums on WAY out in the garden. I need to make myself cut bouquets to enjoy in the house, where we spend a bit of time!

    ReplyDelete
  4. How funny- My friend and I were talking about her calla lilies on Friday. She said she just leaves hers and when they become seed pods she harvests them and plants the seeds. She has several she has started from seeds (which truly amazed me). I would deadhead, too.

    Have a great Sunday- xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
  5. Zoey - Triple Phosphate - my hydrangeas were doing the same thing - spread triple phosphate around the base in Feb - and boy, did I get blooms!! Don't give up!

    ReplyDelete
  6. When I bought my hydrangeas 5 years ago, the guy at the nursery said that the Annabells do much better than the Forever and Ever. So that's why I went with them. They aren't colored but they do produce huge blooms.
    I've never tried raising calla lilies.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Zoey, Love your Sundae bouquet. I remember seeing these made by a florist with carnations. Love your callas!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Cute sundae...sorry your shrub isn't producing better. I think they like super wet soil...mom's looks so full and where hers is gets a lot of run off. I'll try the triple phosphate too.

    ReplyDelete

I appreciate you taking the time and effort to leave a comment. I will try to answer any questions you have. Please note due to Blogger changing word verification so almost nobody can read it, I have had to change to no word verification and only allow registered users to comment.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...