19 December 16, 2009
As the holiday season is upon us, you will likely want to decorate in your home. Plants and plant material have been part of decorating for many years.
Hopefully, you have decided to use a real tree versus an artificial tree. I went over the benefits of real trees last week. The fragrance alone should make you want to have a real tree.
There are many types of fresh evergreen boughs you can use to decorate in your home. Balsam fir, boxwood and white pine are traditional greens that you can use to create centerpieces. You can put greens in vases of water to help fill your home with the scent of the holidays. Floral foam, commonly called Oasis, will allow you to make those centerpieces and have them remain fresh. You could also use the floral foam to create arrangements on a mantelpiece. Add in some holly from your garden and you will have the finishing touch on a nice holiday focal point.
It is hard to keep a wreath alive in your home. The same can be said for evergreen garland. You can make both last longer if you spray them with an anti desiccant spray.
Plants can make a statement in your home. Poinsettias are not the same plant you may remember from years ago. Breeders have created a plant that lasts longer with more vivid colors. Poinsettias are not just a washed out red color anymore. There are deep red leaves against dark green leaves. Burgundy red is probably one of the darkest red colors that you will see. There are white, pink and marbled shades of poinsettias. An evolving technology has created a spray on dye that can transform a white poinsettia into a blue poinsettia. How about a lilac poinsettia? Poinsettias are just not a boring plant anymore!
Cyclamen are a holiday plant that grows from a bulb. They are beginning to be in their flowering time right now. But, that doesn’t mean that they are almost done flowering. Most cyclamen will flower until spring. Come spring, the leaves will die back and you will be left with a dormant bulb. You can store the bulb in the pot and in early fall, bring the plant into bright light and you can have it in bloom again next December.
Amaryllis and paperwhites are both flowering bulbs often associated with the holidays. If you start paperwhites now, you should have them in bloom in 3 to 4 weeks. Amaryllis started now will be in bloom in roughly 6 weeks or so. In our store, We have both bulbs pre-planted to shorten the waiting time until flower. Many of the Amaryllis are almost ready to bloom.
Decorating for the holidays has always incorporated some type of living plants. Here’s hoping that you will continue that tradition.
Well, that’s all for this week. I’ll talk to you again next week.