Fresh Flower Tips: Oriental Lilly Stamen Stain

These Oriental Lilies are beautiful apart from one feature - the stamens stain!  The burnt orangey/red colour is magnificent against the white lily but once the stamens get to the powdery pollen state they can stain - table cloths, wedding dresses, clothes etc.

You can see the difference between the smooth stamen and the powdery one at the back.  You want to pull the stamens off when they are smooth.  You can still get them off when they have gone powdery but it's messier, just use a tissue and get them off in one go. 

You usually wait until they are a little more open than this bud pictured above to pull the stamens off.  I just use my fingers to pluck them off individually, just take the tips and leave the stems.

Some previous tips on flowers and the most romantic thing hubby ever did for me!