LADYBUG SAYS... GIVE FLOWERING PLANTS THAT SHOW YOU CARE

The traditional Valentine's Day gift of candy may be losing popularity these days, considering the current emphasis on health and fitness. But flowers never go out of style.

There is an increasing interest in flowers, especially flowering plants as special expressions of caring. Each time it blooms, the gift conveys these sentiments again and again.

Home gardeners may be interested in receiving new varieties of plants, and there are many new ones on the market this year. The new homeowner may want to start a garden. The apartment dweller may be planning a container garden for the patio and would like a blooming plant to enjoy now.

A pot of herbs is nice for any kitchen window, and then can be planted outside. We recently received a pot of the healthiest parsley that not only enhances the garden room, but is a wonderful garnish for a dinner entree.

Beautiful flowering plants with a unique fragrant scent may be the right choice for someone. A handsome foliage plant in a small container adds a tasteful touch to any office decor. For those who prefer bulb flowers, choose some that are forced into early bloom. A talented hostess recently combined three small pots of white tulips in a unique basket-shaped container for a most attractive centerpiece.

Brightly colored azaleas are a great favorite for Valentine giving. They come in appealing colors of red, pink, bicolors and white at local florists and flower centers. Remember, most of these are "florist azaleas" and are not hardy if planted outside. However, once in awhile, particularly if there has been a mild winter, they will winter, and once they get going outside will continue to be rewarding.

A cool location is the key to azaleas staying in bloom for some time inside. Also, if the plant has been chosen when it is filled with buds or if the buds are just beginning to open. A gift plant in full bloom will not last too long. Remember to keep the plant cool, its soil moist, but not overly watered.

The cyclamen is not only in valentine colors of pink and red, but has heart-shaped leaves. Wonder why it has never made the official flower of Valentine's day as the poinsettia is symbolic of Christmas?

Cyclamens bear two- to three-inch flowers whose petals sweep up like wings of a butterfly. The lovely flowers bloom above thick, dark green leaves that often have silvery markings.

Although cyclamen must remain a house plant, they will continue to flower outside if properly treated. To care for them until spring arrives, watch for gray or upturned leaves as a sign of insufficient moisture. Water beneath the leaves to avoid leaf spotting or tuber rot.

Cineraria offer vivid colors of velvety, daisy-like flowers atop a group of dense foliage of three to four-inch leaves which are green on top and purplish underneath. This is a product of the Mexican flame vine and is pruned to this shape. They do best in at least four hours of sunshine during our winter, or in a curtain-filtered window. While inside, do not fertilize, but keep moist. When it is through blooming, it is through, and that is it.

Fancy caladiums are grown not for their flower, but for their colorful foliage. Red, pink, green, white and bicolor leaves will brighten any room until spring and then may be put outside into the garden or left to be grown in containers. They are easily porpagated by leaf cutting. Growers can have a colorful collection by starting early.

The dream of many plant lovers is to grow a richly fragrant gardenia in their home. Many who have received them right from the green house complain of bud drop. This problem can be reduced by spraying the plant often with tepid water and setting the pot on a humidifying tray, made by placing gravel in a tray and keeping water just below the level of the pot. Gardenias grow best in at least four hours of direct sunlight each day, with a temperature no higher than 65 degrees at night. (These conditions are not easily obtained in most homes.)

The velvety bell-shaped blossoms of free flowering gloxiana make them ideal house plants. Flowers, ranging from three- to six-inches across, may be single or double and come in pink, deep red, lavender, purple and white. Plants may rebloom and go through periods of growth and dormancy. A miniature gloxiana bears half inch violet blossoms and flowers continuously all year. Water from the bottom like African violets.

These are some of the brightly flowered house plants that should please any valentine recipient. However, you may be one of those fortunate persons to receive the customary red roses in a recent Jackson & Perkins publication, rose growers offered tips from customers. One stated, "Squeeze a little lemon juice into a tablespoon of 7-Up and add to the water of your cut roses to extend their life. Change the water each day. Lemon juice and 7-Up provide needed carbohydrates."

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!