WWW.CLEMSON.EDU/PSAMEDIA

DATE:    2/1/01
WRITER:  Dr. David Bradshaw, Clemson Extension horticulturist, 
         (864) 656-4949
EDITOR:  Giles Singleton, (864) 656-3876

Choosing a valentine that will last

     CLEMSON -- Everything seems to be getting more complicated 
these days. Even choosing the right remembrance for Valentine's 
Day is more difficult than I remember it from years past. I guess 
there are only so many ways "I love you" can be rewritten in a 
card before it sounds like a recycle from years earlier.
     So, I decided that this year I should get my wife something 
more original than one of those jaded cards with the same old 
mushy rhymes that would never come from me. Roses, I thought. But 
then I realized that most everyone else would probably be giving 
roses. I wanted something different.
     My practical side dictated that I forget about the big
heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. With heart-healthy diets and 
everyone watching their weight, I think the days of extravagant 
boxes of candy may be on the way out. Besides, I really don't 
even like candy that much. 
     Jewelry is out. I have accepted the fact that I simply 
cannot select clothes or jewelry to suit my wife. She has her 
very own selective tastes. 
     So, where do I start looking for a Valentine?  
     Being a horticulturist, my thoughts turn to plants. And 
being practical, I want something that will last longer than 
just a few days. I once gave my wife one of those potted dwarf
gardenias from the florist. With rich glossy green foliage and 
very fragrant flowers, it was a reminder for weeks as it sat 
on her desk. 
     Weeks later, after the flowers had faded, I planted the 
gardenia outside in our garden, where it still grows and blooms
profusely.  
     So, if cards, candy, roses, clothes, jewelry and dwarf 
gardenias have already been exhausted from my possible list, 
where shall I look next? Perhaps I could give my wife a pot 
of calla lilies in flower. Yes, I know that we often think of 
callas around Easter time. But they bloom for quite a long time
in traditional white, a soft peachy cream color, and even a light 
rose pink.  
     Calla lilies can also be planted outside in the garden after 
the danger of frost has passed. Once I even saw calla lilies 
blooming in a pot in a water garden.
     Of course, everyone may not be looking for a non-traditional
valentine gift. If your heart is set for roses, I suggest a pot 
of miniature roses. Most florist shops have pots of miniature roses 
in full bloom around Valentine's Day. They bloom in a wide array 
of colors and are very hardy when planted outside in the garden. 
I gave one to my mother-in-law many years ago, and it still 
thrives today with very little care.
                    ************************
     If you have gardening questions, write to PSA Media Relations,
A-101 Poole Agricultural Center, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.
29634-0129. You might also want to check our website at
www.clemson.edu/psamedia.
                         END