Get them in the ground as soon as possible. For those you plan to give as gifts, pot them up. You can always remove them from the pots and rinse off the soil at a later date--bring the pots into a cool frost-free location like a garage after the first frost. But if you pot, be careful not to overwater.

Lisa

Something else you might do, (if possible) is to plant them now, and then give them a colored pic of them (wrapped in a box) maybe with a plant tag...that is assuming you know what the name is. That way, you could hold them in the ground until the best time for them to plant out. You wouldn't have to worry about them maybe not taking proper care of them in pots until they have ground prepared for planting out.

What a wonderful idea for a unique Christmas gift.

Sue