The season for giving and receiving plants as gifts is here

I keep some plants in my office window at the (Botanic) Garden—I really appreciate their presence in the winter. I generally neglect to water them enough, but they persevere and add some much-needed color through the dormant season.

The season for giving and receiving plants as gifts is here. It is important to protect plants from cold winter temperatures when bringing them home. Most garden centers wrap plants to protect them from cold temperatures. If they don’t offer to wrap newly purchased plants, be sure to request it. Wrapping the plants also protects them against breakage.

Be sure the plants are placed in a stable location on the way home. If you plan to transport multiple plants, plan to carry them in a box. When transporting plants home, pay attention to the temperature in a car, bus, or train. Ideally, especially if outdoor temperatures are below freezing, they should be surrounded by warm air. Plants should never be transported in a cold trunk or allowed to sit in a cold vehicle for any length of time.

Be sure to remove any wrapping within the first 24 hours of bringing your plants home. Open the top to allow the plants to get air if they are going to be wrapped for an extended period. To unwrap a plant, set it on a stable surface and carefully tear or cut the wrapper from the bottom up. Do not attempt to pull the wrapper off the plant, as you risk breaking stems, flowers, and leaves. Foil pot wrappers are attractive, but they should be removed whenever the plant is watered so that the plant does not sit in water. You can also punch holes in the wrapping to allow water to drain.

Flowering plants such as azalea, kalanchoe, cyclamen, and amaryllis brighten long winter days and are welcome gifts. Select plants that don’t have spots, bruising, wilting, or browned leaf margins. To ensure a longer period of color, choose plants with flowers that are not completely open or with lots of buds. The flowers will also last longer in a cool room with temperatures in the low 60s Fahrenheit.

Cyclamen plants prefer cool indoor conditions and bright, indirect light. Water them only when the soil dries out, and avoid splashing water on foliage. Remove faded flowers and their stems as soon as possible to keep the plant blooming and looking good.

• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.