Spring Projects - Perennials in a Tea Cup

 Perennials in a Tea Cup - Bringing Spring Inside

As the old saying goes, "April Showers bring May Flowers".  What if you can't wait for April.  Then why not grow perennials in a tea cup?

My Choice: Lily of the Valley. My Nanna's favorite. I chose this small flower because of it's size and because it doesn't like full sun and pops from the soil early in spring.

Why the tea cup?  I thought it would make a pretty delicate container I could set all around the house and with the saucer to catch drips from watering, I wouldn't have to worry about my furniture. 

Next thought:  These would make really beautiful and meaningful Easter gifts for the important women in my life.  My mom, my sister and my friends would appreciate this dainty flower in such a unique and "useful" container.

And then:  I can't give away my nice tea cups and saucers so. . . the Salvation Army to the rescue.  I purchased the porcelain mugs you see in the photos for $0.50 each.  I was very tempted to keep them but. . .  what about my mission.  I potted up the lily roots.

What you'll need:

containers,
perennials,
potting soil,
water and sunlight.

Process:  I filled each mug about 1/2 full of dirt.  Removed the roots carefully from the bag.  There were 12 and they were rubber banded together.  I gently removed the rubber band. I coiled each root into the cup and held it down while I spooned dirt to the top of the mug. The directions instructed not to overwater or the roots might rot. So, I added just enough water to dampen the soil.  Placing all the mugs in an old 9 x 13 cake pan, I bought the lot into the house.  I have a large tree in a South facing window and I set them along side the tree in the pot.

Day 1 - just dampened the soil.

Now that they've emerged.  I keep the soil damp but not soggy as there are no drainage holes in the bottoms of the tea cups.

Day 5: Eight of the twelve are at least an inch out of the dirt.

Day 14: I couldn't wait to decorate with them.  I took them to the living room.

I will add pictures as they grow.  I'm looking forward to that sweet fragrance and those delicate little bells. 

How will I reclaim the tea cups?  By mid-summer June or July the Lilies will have sufficient enough roots to go outside under the trees in the planter.  I do not know if you could keep these beauties growing inside.  That was never my intent. I needed a breath of spring early and because I thought others would too, I planted them in tea cups.

Blessed Easter.  Welcome Spring.