The last few days before Easter, every grocery, discount store, and nursery center in the country were selling Easter Lilies.  They were everyplace!   As I watched people carrying them home I wondered how many of the plants would be kept and how many would end up in landfills.  With just a little knowledge and effort the Easter Lily can be saved to bloom again another day--or year, as the case may be.

Recycle that Easter Lily!

So your Easter Lily's blossoms have faded and you want it out of the house?  Resist the urge to toss that lily into the trash, for it can become a permanent resident in your outside garden, and you will be able to enjoy its beauty and fragrance once again.  Keep the longer goal in mind and move it to a sunny window for now until the danger of frost is past.  Keep watering the lily, but be careful not to overwater.  If the leaves should start to yellow and drop off, don't panic.  You haven't lost the plant.  Simply keep the plant on the dry side because it is going into a resting period.  When the weather is finally warm outside find a sunny location (but one where the plant's roots will be shaded) with fertile, well-drained soil.

The lily is actually a bulb, but when you gently remove it from the pot, you will see a root ball.  Gently spread this root ball and place it about three inches below the soil surface--a little deeper than it was in the pot.  Cover it with soil, mulch, and cut the stems back to the ground.  Water well and fertilize with 10-10-10 water-soluble fertilizer (1/2 tsp per gallon of water).  New shoots should appear, and the lily may possibly bloom again in the late summer.  It is a good idea to mulch for winter protection.  And remember-- that lily will not bloom for Easter next year.  It's natural blooming period is June!