Hard to believe but Palm Sunday is fast approaching. Stop and Shop grocery chain has bunches of silvery pussy willow stems for sale at $4.99 per bunch and also bunches of cut forsythia . These two items make wonderful additions to the green palms on the altar behind the cross and in vases on Palm Sunday. This is the weekend to cut your forsythia for forcing. Cut long stems, put in room temperature water and store in the garage or porch by Monday. If the florettes are not opening fast enough by next Wednesday, bring them into the warm house and they should be open for Sunday morning. Home Depot and Walmart have fabulous Majestic palms reasonably priced at the moment- these look great in natural wicker baskets. Our palms arrived from Egan’s yesterday-the new Eco Palms. They are staying wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator. A cool cellar or garage will also do for palm storage. Keep the moisture in by keeping the heavy plastic bags closed tight. This is also a good week for checking your Paschal candle to make sure it is not broken in shipping and that your incense nails are in the shipping box. The annual Easter flower appeal should begin this Sunday in the Sunday bulletin, with envelopes or donation forms in handy places around the church hall and at the back of the church. Remember, Easter flowers may not only be memorials, but may be given in honor of someone, or in thanksgiving for blessings received. In some parishes the Paschal candle may be sponsored by a church group or individuals. Orders for flowers and potted plants should be given to nurseries and florists as soon as possible to guarantee receiving the best service, delivery and quality plants and flowers.
In urgent need of advice on how to keep palm fronds from drying out, i googled Altar Guild tips for keeping cut fronds fresh for Palm Sunday,
and was happy to find your site.
Our family history of church activities (aside from attending services) has been mainly as choir members, some community outreach projects, and children’s programs.
This year, in addition to her full-time & part-time jobs plus choir, my daughter’s been rehearsing for a Passion Play, plus doing costumes and getting lumber for Crucifix, and is running out of energy. The Director just asked her to buy 500+ palm fronds at the city flower market, which she did yesterday. The long bunch was bound with thin rope, partially wrapped in newspaper around the middle She asked the florist (maybe palm vendor would be a better term?) if they need to be in water or how to keep them from drying out, and was assured that no such measures are needed. This was yesterday when she purchased them bringing them home last evening, but this morning was upset to see they are already drying out.
So temporarily they are propped against corner of shower, with enough water in tub to cover bottom few inches. We are hoping this measure will help and not make things worse.
From your paragraph, pasted here: “Our palms arrived from Egan’s yesterday-the new Eco Palms. They are staying wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator. A cool cellar or garage will also do for palm storage. Keep the moisture in by keeping the heavy plastic bags closed tight.”,
i see heavy duty bags are needed, and maybe putting the AC on.
Perhaps we should unwrap and individually bend them into manageable size loops to place in fridge, alternating a few at a time. Sorry to bother you with this. We are clearly WAY OUT OF OUR AREA of expertise,, and literally grasping at straws.
Wishing you well, and a Blessed Palm Sunday and Eastertide.
thanks for any further ideas you (or other readers) could suggest, at this busy time.
barbara.
Keep your palms in the heavy plastic bag and keep cool. I put ours in the fridge section but a cool garage or cellar is fine. If they are VERY dry- mist them with water before closing the bag. The plastic holds the moisture in. I noted our palms arrived with just the very tips browned-these can be snipped off.
Thanks so very much for taking time to send me this, which i would have answered sooner but am currently ill so was resting.
No plastic avail yet (they probably had been sheathed in plastic bags originally for transport to flower market but taken out to sell, so we don’t have. This is a 12 hr. work day for daughter but she’ll go to store for heavy duty trash bag on way home. We don’t have the option of buying a new bunch because both stalls she found that carry them sold out yesterday (for the week), and she cannot get time off work again to look further. I used light spray from shower head before i saw your advice to mist them.
Thankyou again for taking time to advise me/us.