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Garden guide Nov.22/08
By Leigh Smythe
Q. I have always had a poinsettia at
Christmas time. Are there other plants
that I could use that are symbolic for
decorating?
Garden guide Nov.22
By Leigh Smythe
Q. I have always had a poinsettia at
Christmas time. Are there other plants
that I could use that are symbolic for
decorating?
A.Fresh wreaths and swags are another way
to add colour and Christmas
fragrance to your home. They can be
sprayed with an antidessicant such as
Wilt Pruf to extend their indoor life. The
Romans had a tradition of giving
a fresh evergreen branch during the
midwinter festival and they meant “to
your health”. To make them more
attractive they were bent into wreaths and
now we add ribbon, lights and decorations
to brighten them up even more.
Amaryllis bulbs once in bloom are true
show-offs. The blossoms are huge and
brightly coloured, sometimes double and
often striped or multicoloured. The
tall stalks usually produce a set of 4
blooms and the larger bulbs usually
produce at least two stalks. The larger
the bulb, the larger the blossoms
will be. These plants make great gifts,
even in the bulb form, as they are
so easy to grow.
Christmas Cactus are also very popular
this time of the year, with their
truly exotic neon bright blossoms. They
are always in bloom when purchased
but after they finish it can sometimes be
a challenge to get them blooming
again at the right time. Christmas Cactus
seem to respond well to two
situations.
The first involves keeping them in a very
sunny window and
letting them go quite dry through the
summer. I think the temperature
fluctuations near a window help them set
buds in the fall. The other option
is to put them in darkness for 14 hours a
day for several weeks in the fall.
This usually forces them into bud as well.
Once they have set buds keep
them out of drafts and away from heat
vents. Try using a Cactus fertilizer
throughout the spring and summer as well
and be very careful about
overwatering.
Of course, the poinsettia has truly become
representative of Christmas as it
conveniently blooms in midwinter,
naturally, in its native location of
Mexico. When you are choosing a
poinsettia, look for a lush plant with no
drooping or yellow leaves. They prefer a
location that is cooler than a
normal room, so if your leaves start to
curl or drop, temperature is often
the cause. Also avoid over watering these
plants. Stick your finger down
into the soil before watering. They often
look dry on the surface but the
roots may still be wet. |
