Poinsettia foliage at the local flowershop.
You may have noticed the smell of evergreen in the air this past week and an overwhelming shift to red and green. It's out in the streets, in the stores, on your tv, in the magazines...
PlantTherapy: Poinsettia Sightings
Poinsettia foliage at the local flowershop.
A plant that is in abundance at this time is the poinsettia. Even though we associate this plant with winter, it is from a much warmer climate (Mexico!). Martha Stewart Living online has a nice little article on these interesting plants. It is possible, with a little planning, to keep these plants all year round. I also love the fact that the red parts on these plants are leaves - not flowers.
MSL December issue also has other seasonal plant articles - here's the scoop:
pp. 127 - How to prune (and decorate) a tree.
pp. 132 - Article on cyclamen varieties and care, as well as photos of them kept as cut flowers (beautiful).
pp. 184 - Decorations and settings. Nice shot of winterberry in a glass vase on a mantle and set against a vibrant green wall.
pp. 188 - "Greens we love" - a nice, short list and photo inventory of common greens that are out this season, from holly to juniper and fir.
Here's hoping you have a chance to stop and smell the evergreen, no matter what you celebrate, during this very busy time of the year.
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In Mexico, they are called "Flor de Nochebuena", or "Christmas Eve Flower."
I believe they got the name Poinsettia thanks to the American Ambassador to Mexico who introduced them stateside, Amb. George Poinsett. Or so the story goes....
Thisoldhouse.com has great advice from Roger Cook on selecting and caring for your Xmas tree:
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/knowhow/interiors/article/0,16417,1568318,00.html
There is an ODD trend (from The Home Depot to Calyx & Corolla) this year to sell *glittered* Poinsettias. Now, I likes me some glitter as much as the next faaaaaaabulous guy, but really not sure how I feel about this.
Talk about gilding the lily!
You know, I could be wrong but I think the glitter is all part of plants being thought of as a 'disposable' decoration, and not as something that can live on past a few weeks. Judging by how many appear at the flower shops, I am guessing not many of the previous year's purchases lasted to see another holiday :(
Anyone have a poinsettia year round in NYC? Just curious.