Me thinks, the white flowered plant wants drier soil than the poinsettia? But am not sure. Let it dry out a bit between watering...

Moni... sending you hugs!

I don't care for them either. The plants usually have different needs. Shops put them together for looks and most people treat them as disposables. The white flowering plant you're referring to is a cyclamen. Maybe you could keep the ones you like the best and pull out the rest.

This is another one with those Hawaiian plants and a peace lily and dracaena. Flower shops just put them all together for looks instead of practicality. But these ones are growing, I'm sure the roots will force the soil and decorative bark right out of the pot.

Yes, it looks pretty but isn't practical plus there's probably no drainage holes. Think the white one is a begonia.

Edited to say Skibby is right, cyclamen.

I agree with Skibby that the white one is a cyclamen. I've never gotten a cyclamen to last longer than a couple of days. They are really high maintenance. I would separate all plants now. Keep what you like and forget about the rest unless you have enough to replant them all. It's the thought that counts and it seems like you have a lot of loving thoughts coming your way right now, mine included.

ETA, you've got a bromeliad under the anthurium (red flowered plant). The cardinal is nice.

I'd just treat that pot for the cyclamen and the ivy won't care. And when the ponsettia gets bare, trash it. I received a cyclamen as a gift for Admin Pro day (secretaries day last year), it's red.. And it was a horrible house plant. I thought what the heck and in the summer put it in one of my pots outside. It looked even worse out there.. But low and behold one day in Sept, I was checking on things and noticed not only did the leaves come back but it was covered in buds.. It is still blooming and the leaves look beautiful. We've had a few light freezes and lots of rain and its still holding on outside better than in. It's in a pot that has mini snap dragons that reseeded and a pansy. The pansy is the only sad one in the pot.

I know you have a much stronger winter than I, but could you put the cyclamen pot in a sheltered outside area?

The other pot filled with tropicals won't really have a chance in any home.. That is just cruel. Looks beautiful right now though and that was the point.

I agree about that mixed arrangements. SIL sent one similar for our anniversary. It was huge! There just was not a place to put it. As I looked at it, it also had an eclectic mixture.

I divided it up. Since it was May, I was able to plant a few things outside.

Since you don't have room to divide them, I would just try to adjust the water on each side. Enjoy them for however long they last, then toss. or it you have someone who might like part of it, then pass along.

I really like the aesthetics of mixed plant pots, but I view them as longer lived bouquets. Since they are rarely compatible for long term growing, I just enjoy them while they look good and when they don't, into the compost they go.

Jas, the Cyclamen grows from a tuber. Just cut off the foliage and let it go through its normal cycle - it will come back to life when the light gets stronger. The Poinsettia will also leaf back out again when the light is stronger. Water them every couple of weeks and see what happens. I don't water my Cyclamen at all during Dec., Jan., Feb. I begin watering them again the first of March and they come back year after year. In my house, the Poinsettia gets tossed when it starts losing leaves because they are motels for insects.

I really like the plants in the second one and would repot those. As much as I do like flowers, the nice thing about the planters is they last so much longer.

Many years ago, I owned my own florist business. I liked to tell people that I was the third generation in the family in the flower business.

That business that I knew and loved in the 1960s and 1970s is gone now. Very few professionals are still in the business. There are 'niche' florists who do weddings or help with caterers, etc. But a good, full-service florist is difficult to locate.

If the business put their name on those 'arrangements' (some folks call them dish gardens), then contact that place and ask to return those items to be re-potted separately. If the owner is not aware of what is going out the door, then this is the way to let that person know about your dissatisfaction. If that person is unwilling to 'fix' the problem, then a letter to the editor of your local newspaper might be in order. In today's business climate, few businesses want the negative publicity that a letter to the editor is liable to generate. There are some well-intentioned businesses that buy pre-made dish gardens because they don't have the knowledge and/or space to do things properly. That might be what you received.

I was recently in the eastern Mediterranean and saw many instances of large beds of cyclamen. In their own pots, they are wonderful. Typically, people in northern climes in the western hemisphere heat their homes too high to allow a cyclamen to thrive. Cool temps and lots of light are the key to keep them going; a glassed in porch is ideal.

Don't cut the cyclamen back now!! Late fall through early spring is its growing season and when it flowers. That's why they are sold seasonally in bloom during the winter months! The plant wants to be dormant during the warmer, summer months and won't "regenerate" until days shorten and temps cool.

I always kill Cyclamen. A friend of mine does really well with them. At the end of the winter she tossed it out into her backyard garden (forest behind and around her) and the following Autumn it was blooming like crazy. It comes back every year in the Fall...in Ontario Zone 5b (Muskoka)

...and to add insult to injury, I don't even think she actually planted the thing. She just took it out of the pot and heaved it on top of her garden

Cyclamen like to drink up water. Watering the top of the soil can lead to rot.

I took a really sick cyclamen outside in the summer ready to throw it away. Then I noticed it perked up so I brought it back and now it has four big white flowers on it but is still straggly looking. My best find was a whiteish pink Christmas cactus at Aldi for $3. It's blooming like crazy. I never had pink before.

Dig out the poinsettia to give better air circulation, dry out the soil and if you can water it from the bottom and put the pot in a bright light area. The cyclamen and the ivy will thank you..Cyclamens are actually quite easy to grow.

The cyclamen flowers often wilt then the heads bury themselves into surrounding medium. If they adjust to the medium new plants will grow from those buried flowers. I have two areas where I have planted florist cyclamens. One is doing well the other one the person that cuts my grass ran over the area several times and I did not see it coming up. The flowers except in very cool seasons only last a little while but I enjoy them for the leaves more than the flowers. There are a number of those that have very interesting leaves but most need more care than I want to give to them.

Unless one lives in a very mild climate zone - like zone 9 and above - it would be highly unusual for a florist's cyclamen to survive in the ground. They are just not that cold tolerant and they really dislike areas with heavy winter rainfall. OTOH, there are a wide variety of hardy cyclamen - smaller plants with smaller flowers - that are very hardy and can be grown in quite cold zones....as low as zone 5.

It would be nice if, in these arrangements, there were plant labels that actually told you what the plants were (latin name) and how to take care of them

I’ve had several cyclamens on my kitchen window sill for years. They originated in mountain climates so they like cool to cold. It’s not cool in our Australian house on some summer days but I water with cold water from the refrigerator and even drop the odd piece or two of ice onto the soil to slowly melt. Must work because the youngest plant is nearly four years old and the oldest about ten years old.

I know it is "the thought that counts" when these things arrive. And I know people send them with love. But am I the only one who feels somewhat pressured to keep plants alive, even if I didn't ask for them and don't want them? I am saddened by our disposable society.

On the other hand, Since the florist wasn't into the longevity of the arrangement enjoy them while they last and then just chuck them. Takes a lot of pressure off you to keep them going. (You can tell I'm tired) :-))))

Your Cyclamen looks fine to me, the old blooms are dying, not the plant. You still have buds and the leaves look healthy. I've been reading about Cyclamens since I now have one purchased a couple of weeks ago. Here's what I've learned : 1, Let soil dry out between watering. 2 Water from bottom, don't get leaves wet. 3 Likes temps between 50-70F. 4 When it goes dormant, cut off dead leaves and blooms,put in a cool,dark place for 2-3 months, start watering again to bring back. Also, the leaves of a Cyclamen are toxic to people and pets. Jasdip, I'm so sorry for your loss, and I know these plants gifts can be a comfort, but they can also be a burden. I can't see anyway to save these plants except putting them in separate pots.

I too wanted to point out that Cyclamens are pretty they are also poisonous so if you have a plant chewing pet it could get sick. If you have a plant eating pet it can die. Second scenario not likely but there.

The Anthurium is also poisonous.

I know that poinsettas are poisonous. I didn't know the Anthurium is as well. But has chewed the tip of a leaf. It's out of reach of him now, but that's one of the plants I was going to separate and keep.

It looks like none of them is really worth the bother. Much as it's beautiful, I don't have the room for several plants, and leafy ones like the Peace lily and dracaena, Bud will have the leaves chewed in no time.

I'll let them grow and if they die they die, I'm not going to babysit them.

I'm not having a good day, and these plants are just added stress and heartbreak.

While many folks DO coddle these mixed arrangements or carefully disect them into individual pots for long term growing, they really are intended as temporary floral displays. Much like a bouquet of cut flowers........just quite a bit longer lasting :-) But the plants are combined based on appearance, not by growing conditions, and so the displays will eventually deteriorate if left as is. And I would not feel bad about that, any more than I would when the cut flower bouquet eventually dies :-)

If there was a plant or two in the mix I really wanted to grow on, I would remove now before the containers got too crowded or they started to decline and pot up separately. And then just enjoy the arrangements as long as you are happy with them and toss when you can no longer be bothered!

Sorry you are having a bad day. Sometimes we have to choose our battles and decide whether the stress is worth it. Hugs and more hugs, Jasdip.

I've always avoided sending live plants when someone passes away. Caring for them and attempting to keep them alive just adds to the burden of the survivors who are trying to cope with learning how to live day to day without the one who is no longer with them. In the case of a widowed spouse, It's hard enough to get into a new routine, new social status, sort out all the paperwork that's required, even learn to cook for one, etc., without feeling obligated to keep plants alive that they didn't want in the first place. Even bouquets of flowers, while easier, have to be dealt with as well. I know they are sent with love and the best of intentions, but perhaps a donation to a charity the deceased supported or just a heartfelt card is something that will make life a little bit easier for the one who is trying to adjust to these new and frightening circumstances.

Jasdip, it you don't want to deal with the plants and they are causing you distress, just get rid of them and don't feel the least bit guilty about it. Hugs to you; I'm sorry you are having to go through all this. It's especially hard this time of year, but the holidays are almost over and I hope that will help you a little bit.

I had never thought of that DawnInCal. What you wrote is good to know. Thanks!

Gargame, I'll admit I used to send flowers and even a tree once. I thought the family could plant the tree in memory of the deceased. It was only later (after losing my parents and brother in close succession) that it occurred to me that they really were a burden. My sister and I had both come in from out of town (each time) and besides everything else we had to do, we had to water flowers, try to find places for them and try to keep the potted plants looking good and decide who was going to take them. It was a long time before I even wanted to look at flowers again.

When I think back on the tree, that poor widow had to decide where to plant it, dig a hole and tend to the tree after it was planted. Then she moved and the tree ended up staying at the old house so she didn't have it in memory of her husband anyway. Good intentions, bad idea on my part.

I'm sure there are others here on the KT who have gone through the loss of loved ones and found the flowers/plants a comfort. Everyone is different, but it sounds like (to me) that the plants Jasdip received are causing more stress than comfort and getting rid of them would lift the weight of caring for them from her shoulders.

Dawn, I think your intent was nice and I love the idea of planting a tree in memory of a loved one. There are non-profit organizations that plant memorial trees for a donation and I love the thought of trees growing in the name of someone I've loved.

I think it depends on the person. Speaking for myself....having plants to tend to when I am grieving is soothing and gives me something to occupy my thoughts. If I disliked plants, it would be an unwelcome chore.