Our two daughters loved picking noses when they were kids. Well, that’s what we called it back in the day when we owned and operated a flower shop, garden center, and greenhouses in Michigan.
We involved our kids in the business from the time they were old enough to fill water tubes with water. We’d set them up at the counter with the sink and faucet we used for cleaning and filling the buckets for fresh flowers. They were out of the way in the floral design area, standing on a step stool to reach the faucet with their little hands. The bucket of water was in the sink. The empty tubes were piled on the counter along with the caps with a hole in the top to poke a rose stem through. This kept the rose fresh and healthy until it reached its destination, a girlfriend, a mom, a grandmother, or a special someone.
When our daughters were young, there was more splashing and playing in the bucket full of water than filling tubes. They grew and so did their skills in water tube filling. In fact, we had to pay them for their service. Yes, a quarter for a bucket of 50 filled tubes. To this day, they still complain about working for a quarter! But at the time, they were delighted with it.
We enlisted the girls to work in the greenhouses when they were older. One of their jobs in the spring was to remove the pollen from the Easter lilies. This is an important job and one they took seriously even if they did name it picking the lily’s nose.
But why pick the nose, er, I mean remove the pollen from the lily blossom? The flower lasts longer when the yellow pollen in the center is removed. Look at the picture at the top of the page to see one blossom with pollen and one without. When the flower begins to open big enough to get your fingers inside, pinch off the pollen on the tiny filament stem. As the blossoms open and mature, more powder will drop on the white blossom. It will not damage the blossom, but it does make an unattractive smear.
Note: The pollen will stain your fingers but will eventually wash off. You can use tweezers to avoid that. If the powder drops on fabric like a tablecloth, don’t wash the pollen away with water. Shake it off.
Easter lilies and spring bulb plants, such as daffodils and tulips, decorate homes and churches during Easter because they represent the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb to the birth of a glorious new existence and the promise of everlasting life.
If you celebrate Easter, I wish you a joyous and blessed day this Sunday, March 31.
I remember reading your post about “picking noses” years ago. Ever since then, I’ve used a tissue to clean my lily noses. It works well and keeps my fingers pollen-free. Have a beautiful Easter! He arose!
Happy Easter! I wish I didn't have an allergy to lilies, but I am thankful for the pinching off of the pollen. It helps me be able to enjoy the flowers on Easter.