Garden Talk: Flowers And Plants For Your Valentine

Air Date:
Heard On The Larry Meiller Show

Valentine’s Day is coming, and plants are a great gift for a favorite person. Plus, how to use these cold months to plan for your best garden ever!

Featured in this Show

  • Some Plants, Flowers Are Perfect For Valentine’s Day Giving

    Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and it can be a nice time to show anyone that they are valued and appreciated. And whether the recipient is a passionate gardener or doesn’t know a moss rose from moss, plants and flowers are a great gift.

    Melinda Myers is a Milwaukee-based garden expert and the author of more than 20 books. She said she thinks that any plant can be a great gift, but that there are some especially well-suited for Valentine Day giving.

    One house plant that Myers likes is the anthurium, which is also known as tailflower, flamingo flower and laceleaf.

    “Anthuriums have that beautiful, heart-shaped red flower. They’re long lasting and look very tropical — which it is, but it’s easy to care for,” she said.

    Myers said she’s had a specimen stay in bloom for several months, even with minimal care and attention.

    Another favorite for Myers is the cyclamen, whose blooms she described as looking like shooting stars. The leaves are heart-shaped, she added, in either solid green or with some silver variegation. Like the anthuriums, she said that cyclamens can hold their blooms for quite a while, and on occasion, can be coaxed into reblooming.

    For those who seem to have a black thumb when it comes to keeping plants alive, Myers recommended the ZZ plant, which is often seen in malls, airports and other locations that don’t seem to be ideal for plants.

    “They take neglect, they take low light, and they’re wonderful as long as you avoid drafts,” Myers said.

    An old favorite is the snake plant, or sansevieria. Myers said that new varieties have been developed add a lot more interest through different heights and colors.

    Other familiar house plants with a more current twist are philodendrons and pothos. Both are “hardy, tough plants” that have new varieties available, Myers said, and of course, hints of hearts in the leaf shape.

    Flowering plants might seem like the most obvious choice for a gift, but Myers encouraged people to think outside of the “flowerbox.” She said that especially for those watching their weight, there are good alternatives to a box of chocolates.

    “How about growing a small container of colorful leaf lettuce? There’s some wonderful leaf lettuce out there. You can get it started indoors, they can grow it in a sunny window, and they can keep harvesting as soon as the leaves are 4 inches tall. It’s a great way to give a lasting gift,” Myers said.

    For avid gardeners, Myers said that giving them the seeds and some potting mix, all packaged in a decorative tin, will let them do it themselves. And if the lure of a bouquet of showy flowers proves too much, Myers said not to worry.

    “Even gardeners like to get cut flowers. It’s always a good choice,” Myers said.

Episode Credits

  • Larry Meiller Host
  • Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
  • Melinda Myers Guest

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