Hi Carrie, I think you could probably get calla lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica or albomaculata) to bloom for you in time for your wedding, but it would be cutting it a little close. According to my records from last season I planted calla bulbs on April 20th and coincidentally I harvested my first stem on exactly June 6th, 2008. I think you could push them to bloom a week or so sooner if you planted them a little earlier, maybe April 1st, and then covered them with a cold frame or small plastic hoop tunnel to warm the soil up to at least 55 degrees to get them growing. They are also commonly grown in pots, so if you have some room indoors you should be able to get them blooming earlier in a warm house. If you really wanted to try to grow callas outdoors in time for your wedding it would be a good idea to try and find a gardener or botanical garden near you that leaves callas in the ground over winter and keeps good records. Ask them what day their first calla bloomed and on what date you could expect to cut enough for your wedding given that you plant them on April 1st. - Steve Here is a link that might be useful: Pacific Callas

I think containers is a wonderful idea. So are many of the seeds you have to plant. First, I would throw all the seeds of larkspur, poppies delphinium, and calendula. They should bloom, I am judging about the time of your wedding. I base this on the fact that I went to Denton, Texas in May, 2005 (or 2006), and I was astonished to see newly planted pansies! Our pansies had been gone, banished by our warm spring temps for months! So, our poppies are not quite blooming here in zone 9. Take 3 weeks difference in each zone, and that puts you approximately 12 weeks behind us. Yep, you should have poppies about then! How exciting! I think you can add snaps, lobelia, stock, nicotiana, and morning glory, too. Like Nell said, prune and fertilize your roses, and groom your other plants and feed them. From now to the wedding, feed your plants every time you water them. Well, maybe wait until past your last frost date before you do all that feeding..... But you can groom your yard, and be sure everything is clipped and edged nicely. A nice big fern (Macho fern?) would be lovely in a big pot, two would be better. You can always set these in the back of a flowerbed, or in a naked spot. Machos are very hardy, if you can find them, and they get huge! I once did a garden for a lady who was hosting a 'do' for the symphony crowd. It was the end of January, and absolutely nothing was available. Nothing, except for some very pretty pyracantha. So we used them, and cut(from the side of the road, even!) holly and yaupon, wonderfully decorated with red berries. Stuck in big pots, nobody even realized these were just sticks! LOL, it was very effective. Imagination goes a long way. We decorated a big hall with sunflowers cut from the side of the road once, for my BIL's birthday party. Used buckets and old teapots and such for containers. The decorations cost almost nothing. Don't worry too much. You will be such a beautiful and radient bride that no flower could move you from the center of attention. Be most happy on this day, and we will all be happy for you! Best of luck, and I wish you all the happiness in the world. Janie

I am a florist with over twenty years experience. FTD is not a florist. FTD is an organization that florists belong too. FTD does not sell flowers, all orders through their website go to a local florist who is a member. Florist Transworld Delivery is what it stands for. Some member florists are over priced, some are not. Some are competent, some are not. I have worked for florists who took such horrid care of their cut flowers and plants that they are ripping off the public and should be shut down but the US does not license florists like many other countries do. There is a large chain of florists in PA called Royer's Flowers that are very good. Costco cut flowers come grower direct and are very fresh you can save a lot of money and have a lot more flowers than if going through a local florist. Costco does offer Oriental lilies in bulk and in arranged wedding flowers. They are available year' round and are very fragrant. So fragrant that many complain about them in all of the flower shops I've worked at over the years....I love all of them but many do not. Not sure what the wedding colors are, Costco lilies are all hot pink and white variations which may not go. Most commercially grown roses do not have much scent though some will. Scent in roses is directly in proportion to how long they last cut, so the stronger the scent the shorter they last which is why garden roses smell better. Most commercial carnations have little scent though in large quantities all flowers are going to have some scent. Potted pink jasmine Jasminum polyanthum are not ever offered in June here in Oregon so I think you'll be too late for them in PA too. They are usually offered in Jan and Feb. These are the only jasmines commonly offered as potted gift plants rather than as nursery stock. You are going to want potted gift plants rather than nursery stock if you want attractive plants with wrapped pots. Most garden centers/nurseries are not in the gift potted plant business. Most of their plants won't be grown for show but for long term garden growth and may not be very attractive even if they do smell good. There are Whole Foods in Philadelphia their floral departments would be a good place to order blooming potted plants for less than Royer's....most likely though check with both. I do not know if there are Kroger grocery stores in PA but they usually have excellent floral departments. I would avoid big box stores like Home Depot and Wal Mart, they generally cannot order in advance and do not hire experienced people for their garden departments. Most plants are brought in and merchandised by the growers...

There are so many hostas that I would try to find a variety with a name that would be significant to your and your fiance. Check out the Hosta Library and see what you can find. Not sure it needs to be a mini, just a young plant. Linda C Here is a link that might be useful: hosta liberary