How many people have received holiday & plant gifts - azaleas (shown above), lilies, gardenias, minature roses, mums, rosemary trees - only to have them wither after a week or two?  Many people then decide that they don't have a green thumb and give up on gardening.  The reality is that most gift plants have been foreced into bloom out of season or with such exacting conditions that even the most expert gardeners have a tough time keeping them alive.
Consider these plants to be longer lasting than cut flowers, but not permanent.  If you keep them alive longer than a month, pat yourself on the back.