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| Holiday Poinsettia |
In
1975, a research study by the Ohio State University dispelled the myth;
Poinsettia ARE not poisonous. The white sap may be irritating to the eyes. So
go ahead and brighten up your home with Poinsettias. There are several
wonderful hybrids to choose from today from dark red to white.
The
Holiday Plants that you kept last year need to be placed in a dark room during
the evening hours for the plants to bloom this holiday season. Christmas Cactus
and Poinsettias are night dependent plants for them to bloom; these plants need
so many hours of darkness to bloom. The cooler weather also helps in the
blooming process. Remember this gardening ritual when it is time to turn back the
clocks; it is time to give holiday plants total darkness until buds or bracts
start forming. If you purchased new holiday plants, try to place them in the
coolest areas of your home and not under room vents.
Have
you planted cool weather annuals? If not, there is still time to plant. Are
your pansies already planted? Now is the time to fertilize your pansies,
violas, snapdragons, ornamental cabbage and kale.
For
Southern gardeners that are in zones 9 or 10 there is still time to plant your
spring flowering bulbs.
Rake
your leaves from your lawn by doing so; you will not have dead spots in the
grass next spring. The leaves make excellent compost for the landscape beds in
the spring. Need A Composter? Gardener’s Supply Company has a fine selection of composter.
Tis
the season to harvest holiday decorations from your garden, Holly, Nandina,
Pyracantha berries and foliage make an excellent red holiday accent for table
centerpieces and hearth mantels.
Attract
birds to your garden with different types of bird feeders. Bird experts
recommend a selection of bird feeders that hold wild birdseed, thistle seed,
and some that have suet cake holders. Bird experts recommend attracting wild
birds to use black oil sunflower seed; this will attract a larger variety of
wild birds.
Need Horticulture Advice? Ask Cheryl@hibiscusandmore.com
Have
you ever tried forcing Paperwhites for the holidays and the stems and blooms
became leggy? Here is a link to an article about what to do to prevent the
legginess from occurring. Click Here To Read More: http://www.hortmag.com/weekly-tips/cultivation/growing-paperwhites?et_mid=525016&rid=2111517
House Plants that were brought
indoors need a ¼ turn to prevent leaning towards the light. To prevent this, turn
your house plants once a week. House plants do not need as much water during
the winter months, water when the top one inch of the soil is dry. Another way
to decide to water is if you had several days of cloudy weather check your
plants on the normal day you usually check, if the soil feels wet wait a week.
Houseplants do not need as much water during cloudy, winter months. General
Rule less light = less water. Plants use more water with more daylight hours.
The
Blogger, Cheryl Ann Meola, has several Links to share with you featuring her
fine art plant photography and merchandise. Click on the links below.
For
Gardening Books: Butterfly Gardening Click Here. is on Sale. House Plants Click Here.
Landscape Gardening Click Here.
Fine
Art America Portfolio for Prints and Household Merchandise.
For
Cheryl Ann Meola’s Shutterstock Stock Photography.
For
Cheryl Ann Meola’s Adobe Stock Photography.
Cheryl
Ann Meola © 2023.
All photographs and
digital images are ©Cheryl Ann Meola. All Rights Reserved. All photographs and
digital images displayed in this newsletter are for viewing purposes only and cannot
be duplicated or copied.
Merry
Christmas and Happy Holidays From Hibiscus and More.
Texas
Certified Nursery Professional #1282
