the flowers may not make it to the Easter holiday.

The fields at Devonshire's Locust Hill Farm are a sea of flowers that are beginning to or are already in full bloom.

"Once the flower blooms it only lasts about ten days,'' said Joey Pacheco of Pacheco and Sons. "If Easter were this week we wouldn't have any problems.

The holiday is two weeks later this year than it was last year.'' Last year the flowers were two months early.

Mr. Pacheco said people were already buying their lilies just in case something happened to the rest of the crop.

The lilies also face challenges with the weather.

If there is not enough rain between now and Easter, the remaining lilies may not bloom and the blooming lilies may droop.

Only two farms on the Island grow the lilies for Easter.

The flowers were first introduced to the Island in 1853 when a ship in distress was forced to divert to St. George's Harbour.

And from the Island's love for lilies, it became Bermudian tradition to send a bunch of the flowers to the Queen.

Since people are buying their lilies early and may want to keep them around for another few weeks, there are some simple steps to making them last longer.

It is essential that the lilies have clean, room temperature water and it is a good idea to change the water daily.

A small dose of household plant food can be helpful too.

And keep them out of the direct sunlight as the light dries the flowers out quicker.