Do you know the Legend of the Poinsettia?

Poinsettias are prefect for bringing Christmas into your home with their long lasting red bracts that work great in any decor setting.  They also make the ideal living gift for that person that you never know what to get for Christmas. This enchanting legend of the poinsettia dates back several centuries, to a Christmas Eve in Mexico when a little girl named Pepita had no gift to present to the Christ child at Christmas Eve Service. As Pepita walked slowly to …

Poinsettias

Poinsettias have long been associated with Christmas and add beauty and warmth to any home during the holiday season. Poinsettias are a tropical plant with long-lived bracts (vivid color leaves) and golden yellow flowers. To ensure that your poinsettia retains its beauty, keep these tips in mind. Place in a room with bright, indirect light. Avoid temperature extremes. This includes heat from registers as well as cold drafts below 50° F. Water plant thoroughly when soil surface is dry to …

Holiday Plants – Keep or Toss?

Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to get your house back in order. But what about the holiday plants that you bought or were given to you as gifts. These can make a nice addition to your home in winter. Some can even become permanent fixtures in your home. You’ll just have to decide which holiday plants are worth keeping and which to let go. Holiday plants such as poinsettia, Christmas cactus, amaryllis, cyclamen, kalanchoe and bulbs will …

Quick tips to keep you poinsettia looking good

Poinsettias are beautiful and easy to care for. Here are a few important things to remember to help keep your poinsettia looking cheerful until long after the holidays are done.  Poinsettias can get cold damage very quickly. Keep them covered when transporting them to your home. If you see black edges on the bract, it is likely caused by cold damage during transporting home. To protect the plants, it is best to use a paper sleeve that fully covers the plant. …

Despite their toxic reputation, poinsettias are not poisonous!

The great news is they’re beautiful, they’re safe and they shout Christmas so feel free to enjoy them in your home without worry! No plant is more closely associated with Christmas than the poinsettia. It is celebrated for its beauty but also feared for its toxicity. For years, poinsettias have had the bad reputation of being poisonous. However, poinsettias have undergone extensive testing and there is no evidence that they are toxic or unsafe to have in the house. The …

Clever ways to use your Christmas Tree after the holidays.

The holidays have come and gone and we’re all getting ready to take down the decorations. But instead of tossing out that real Christmas tree, we’ve compiled some clever reuse ideas. 1. Mulch… Pine needles dry quickly and decompose slowly, making them an excellent moisture- and mold-free mulch for ground-covering crops, such as strawberries, to rest on. 2. Create a bird sanctuary… Place your tree in its stand outdoors. Fill bird feeders and hang them from the boughs, or drape the tree with …

Reblooming your Poinsettia

If you are one of the few who saved your poinsettia in the hopes of getting it to bloom again… this is for you! The trick to getting Poinsettias to bloom is a very strict light and dark schedule. If it is not followed chances are your Poinsettia will not bloom. 1. Starting September 20th until December 1st, keep your Poinsettia in light from 8 am to 5 pm. Place in a closet with no window from 5 pm to 8 …

Indoor Plants to Improve Health and Reduce Stress while Brightening your Home for the Holidays

Indoor plants bring welcome warm touches of life to enclosed, stuffy rooms and soothe us with their visual impact. If you’d like to add a touch of “green” to your home, here are some beautiful plants that will fit right in with the rest of your Christmas decorations and brighten the holidays. Whether purchased for yourself or as gifts for teachers, special friends, or someone who can’t get out much anymore, the colorful blooms sing silent songs of joy. Use …

Decorating with Cut Greens

Cut greens are perfect for bringing any home to life in a season when the garden is closing down. Cold weather or not, we still use our entryways, front doors and driveways and it is important to keep these places welcoming, not just for others but for our own sense of well being. One of the most popular and effective ways of using cut greens is in planters or urns at your front door, driveway or walkway. Already existing planters and window …

Overwintering Rosemary Indoors

Most herbs taste much better fresh, and rosemary is no exception. That’s why every winter I try to keep my rosemary alive in a pot inside the house. Rosemary really pairs well with roasted lamb, garlic, and olive oil. It is also a nice addition to potatoes, bread, tomato sauce, pizza, and pork, but you might want to use a light hand because the flavor can be strong. Rosemary does best in a sunny, southern or possibly western window, where …