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Pat Sullivan: Valentine's Day plants and flowers

Pat Sullivan suggested a garden's worth of live plant options for Valentine's gift-giving.

INDIANAPOLIS — A bouquet of fresh-cut roses is the traditional go-to gift for Valentine's Day flowers. 

But soon after Feb. 14, those roses wilt, die and wind up, at best, in the compost heap.

Pat Sullivan from Sullivan Hardware and Garden suggested a garden's worth of live plant options for Valentine's gift-giving on 13Sunrise.

"You can get potted plants. You can get garden art," said Sullivan, that will last longer than that cut rose bouquet.

Sullivan pointed out different varieties of potted flowers available now in garden centers, such as orchids, African violets and hellebores, which Sullivan said are one of the earliest-blooming perennials, come in a rainbow of colors and can live outside. 

"It makes a nice house plant," Sullivan said, but in the spring, it can go outside in a shade garden and come back for many years.

Some gifters work backward, buying a decorative pot they like, then potting a plant themselves. Others personalize their gift pots by purchasing a plain pot and then decorating with paint or decoupage paper. 

For more gift ideas, watch Sullivan's full 13Sunrise segment in the video player.

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