NO PARTY PANTS/Or, Decorating with Holiday Plants
(Via gardenauthor)
Nothing breathes life and warmth into our indoor holiday displays quite like a living, growing plant. Poinsettia, of course, has the distinction of being the quintessential Christmas plant. While the lavish red or creamy white bracts remain traditional favorites, modern hybrids are not your grandmother's poinsettias. Choices include burgundy, more vibrant reds, multiple pink hues and a variety of whites and creams... we also find remarkable variegations - bracts that are splashed, dotted and streaked with contrasting colors.
Factoids: Average room temps/no drafts/not near a heat source/set on a humidity tray (a wide saucer that extends well beyond the pot diameter - filled with 1-2" of pebbles, in which a constant water level is maintained - the pot is never in standing water, but the humidity constantly evaporates upward, around the foliage)/keep lightly moist/no standing water/use tepid water/east or filtered south light.
Descriptions of this unusual bloom range from a hovering butterfly to a chieftain's headdress. Foliage vies with blossoms for attention. Deep green leaves are delicately veined and variegated with silver. A rich shade of maroon, on the flip side, gives the heart-shaped foliage even more depth. The interesting, unique blooms are found in shades of red, pink, lavender and white. There are standards, dwarfs and spice-scented varieties. Whichever you select, cylamen is a wonderful addition to your winter plant collection.
Factoids: Cool to avg. room temps - blossoms last longer if it's on the cool side/not near heat source/humidity tray /soil surface dries to the touch, between waterings/no standing water/use tepid water/water only around the edges - avoid wetting the tuber/cool, east or west-facing windows are ideal/pinch off spent blooms.
Christmas cactus is another holiday favorite, as much for its seasonal display, as for the success most indoor gardeners experience with this one. Shades of red, orange, white, pink and lavender are all represented in this group. Let's face it - with its semi-succulent leaf segments, the Christmas cactus is just easier to care for than the more finicky indoor plants.
Factoids: Avg. room temps/blossoms last longer if it's on the cool side/not near heat source/humidity tray (not as critical as for many plants)/dry between waterings (a little more moisture while in bloom)/no standing water/use tepid water/east, south or west - but, flowers last longer away from hot, direct sun.
Norfolk Island Pine is a non-hardy indoor foliage plant that enjoys its greatest popularity at Christmas time... a nice little living tree to decorate for the holidays, as well as an attractive addition to a permanent indoor plant display. A Norfolk Island Pine is often an ideal solution for apartments and offices. If you use lights, make sure they're cool-burning (LED lights, etc.), to avoid burning sensitive needles.
Factoids: Cool to avg. room temps/not near heat source/humidity tray/allow soil to dry about 2" down (in a large nursery pot)/soak the soil with tepid water/no standing water/never over-water, especially in winter (these last two are the most common causes of failure)/very bright room or... east, west or filtered south.
No Party Pants, please... Except at the party! Florist's foil, crimped up around the rather plain green pots of our holiday plants, lends a festive flair, in a myriad of shiny hues. It's tempting to leave it on for the entire season... please, don't! It effects air circulation, cuts down on rising humidity around foliage and retains excess water, which may lead to root rot. An alternative to foil, is a cache pot or decorative basket - set the plant on a saucer of pebbles, placed at the bottom of this outer container. Air will circulate, bringing healthful humidity up around the foliage and roots will never sit in excess water. So, no foil party pants, at least not until the night of the party!
©Deb Lambert 2007
Photos: courtesy of Corliss Bros. Garden Center (Ipswich, MA) staff, ©2007
Nothing breathes life and warmth into our indoor holiday displays quite like a living, growing plant. Poinsettia, of course, has the distinction of being the quintessential Christmas plant. While the lavish red or creamy white bracts remain traditional favorites, modern hybrids are not your grandmother's poinsettias. Choices include burgundy, more vibrant reds, multiple pink hues and a variety of whites and creams... we also find remarkable variegations - bracts that are splashed, dotted and streaked with contrasting colors. Factoids: Average room temps/no drafts/not near a heat source/set on a humidity tray (a wide saucer that extends well beyond the pot diameter - filled with 1-2" of pebbles, in which a constant water level is maintained - the pot is never in standing water, but the humidity constantly evaporates upward, around the foliage)/keep lightly moist/no standing water/use tepid water/east or filtered south light.
Descriptions of this unusual bloom range from a hovering butterfly to a chieftain's headdress. Foliage vies with blossoms for attention. Deep green leaves are delicately veined and variegated with silver. A rich shade of maroon, on the flip side, gives the heart-shaped foliage even more depth. The interesting, unique blooms are found in shades of red, pink, lavender and white. There are standards, dwarfs and spice-scented varieties. Whichever you select, cylamen is a wonderful addition to your winter plant collection.Factoids: Cool to avg. room temps - blossoms last longer if it's on the cool side/not near heat source/humidity tray /soil surface dries to the touch, between waterings/no standing water/use tepid water/water only around the edges - avoid wetting the tuber/cool, east or west-facing windows are ideal/pinch off spent blooms.
Christmas cactus is another holiday favorite, as much for its seasonal display, as for the success most indoor gardeners experience with this one. Shades of red, orange, white, pink and lavender are all represented in this group. Let's face it - with its semi-succulent leaf segments, the Christmas cactus is just easier to care for than the more finicky indoor plants. Factoids: Avg. room temps/blossoms last longer if it's on the cool side/not near heat source/humidity tray (not as critical as for many plants)/dry between waterings (a little more moisture while in bloom)/no standing water/use tepid water/east, south or west - but, flowers last longer away from hot, direct sun.
Norfolk Island Pine is a non-hardy indoor foliage plant that enjoys its greatest popularity at Christmas time... a nice little living tree to decorate for the holidays, as well as an attractive addition to a permanent indoor plant display. A Norfolk Island Pine is often an ideal solution for apartments and offices. If you use lights, make sure they're cool-burning (LED lights, etc.), to avoid burning sensitive needles.Factoids: Cool to avg. room temps/not near heat source/humidity tray/allow soil to dry about 2" down (in a large nursery pot)/soak the soil with tepid water/no standing water/never over-water, especially in winter (these last two are the most common causes of failure)/very bright room or... east, west or filtered south.
No Party Pants, please... Except at the party! Florist's foil, crimped up around the rather plain green pots of our holiday plants, lends a festive flair, in a myriad of shiny hues. It's tempting to leave it on for the entire season... please, don't! It effects air circulation, cuts down on rising humidity around foliage and retains excess water, which may lead to root rot. An alternative to foil, is a cache pot or decorative basket - set the plant on a saucer of pebbles, placed at the bottom of this outer container. Air will circulate, bringing healthful humidity up around the foliage and roots will never sit in excess water. So, no foil party pants, at least not until the night of the party!
©Deb Lambert 2007
Photos: courtesy of Corliss Bros. Garden Center (Ipswich, MA) staff, ©2007
