Question: I have a container-grown English ivy that sits on a shelf in our den and almost hangs to the floor. A friend suggested I train it to a trellis. Do you have any tips?

Answer: Training a vining houseplant to a support can add interest and dimension to a room and better showcase a plant’s leaves and blossoms. It can also increase the plant’s exposure to light and ventilation, both of which are good for the plant.

It is easiest to train houseplants that naturally vine such as a hoya, philodendron, pothos, monstera, tradescantia and ivy. Without support these plants will grow outward, not upward, and their leaves and vines will hang down.

To be successful, choose a support that fits the plant and the form you would like it to take such as a trellis, wire form or hoop. A moss pole (a sturdy stick coated in moss that is rough and damp) is ideal for plants with aerial roots that will grow into the moss.

Command hooks, metal picture hangers and string can be used to train a plant to a wall. Be aware that when training a plant onto a wall, the plant might produce roots that cling to the wall and damage the paint.

Choose a container that is heavy enough so that the plant trained to the support will not tip over. Insert the support into the container when the plant is still small to avoid damaging its roots.

Train the plant as it grows. New growth is more flexible and less likely to snap than older growth. Carefully secure new stems, vines or tendrils around the support with soft ties or clips that give the plant room to bend and move. Always be gentle.

Consider training vines up both sides of the support to create a symmetrical appearance.

A trailing houseplant may grow faster once it has been trained to climb. Be prepared to fertilize and water it more often and don’t be afraid to pinch back growing tips or prune side branches to promote bushier growth.

Question: How can you prolong the life of a cut Asiatic or Oriental lily?

Answer: True lilies, such as Asiatic or Oriental lilies, make wonderful cut flowers but often last only a week or so. The following steps can prolong the life of the blooms.

Harvest the flowers early in the day when temperatures are cool and put them into water immediately. Choose stems with flower buds that are just about to open, showing just a little bit of the flower color, or flowers that recently opened.

As soon as you get the lilies inside, trim the ends of the stems an inch or so, making a diagonal cut with a sharp knife or pair of scissors. Remove any leaves that will be below the waterline in the vase as these just rot and foul the water. Put the flowers into a clean vase with clean water.

Keep the blossoms out of the sun. Lilies need sun to grow, but once cut, they’ll do best in a cool place out of direct sunlight.

Keep your lilies away from ripening fruits and vegetables because they can produce ethylene gas that makes the flowers shrivel and wilt much faster than normal.

Change the water every couple of days to decrease the number of bacteria that build up in the water and prevent the flower from taking up water. When you change the water, cut off another half-inch of the stem.

Something unique to lilies is the removal of the anthers. The anthers are the small bean-shaped structures at the end of the stamens (whisker-like structures sticking out from the center of each blossom) that produce pollen. Removal of the anthers inhibits pollen production and prevents the flowers from setting seeds that cause them to fade more quickly. It also prevents pollen from staining the petals and any material beneath the vase.

Carefully pinch or cut the anthers off the stamens as soon as they are visible and before they begin to shed pollen. Wear gloves to avoid staining your fingers.

The higher-up buds will open as the lower flowers fade. Remove any wilted or spent flowers to maintain the arrangement’s neat appearance.

When handled in this manner, a lily arrangement can last two or more weeks.

Jeanette Stehr-Green is a WSU-certified Clallam County Master Gardener.