Poinsettia

Poinsettias are a popular gift and home decoration for the Christmas season. Despite the longstanding myth, the poinsettia is the most widely tested plant and has been proven to be non-toxic.

Special Care - Water thoroughly when soil surface feels dry. Remove excess water from the foil cover. Bright indirect light will prolong their life. Place plant away from hot or cold drafts.

Poinsettias are native to Mexico, where they grow wild. They were first introduced to the United States in 1825.

70 - 80 million poinsettias are sold at Christmas. The most popular color being red.

Purple Passion

The soil should be kept moist. Reduce watering in the winter. Bright light is necessary to maintain deep vivid color. If the plants' leaves are more green than purple, the plant is not getting enough light. Avoid getting water on the leaves when watering as dark patches may result. Dandelionlike yellow flowers often bloom after the plant reaches one year. These flowers have an unpleasant odor and so are best pinched off.

Ferns

Basic requirements of Ferns

Keep the soil moist, not soggy, by letting water drain out the bottom of the pot. Feed once a month during the growing season(spring,summer) with a general purpose fertilizer(20/20/20)

half strength. Re pot only when the plant has outgrown its container. Ferns like to be snug in their pots. Up the humidity level by putting pebbles or river rocks in the bottom of a saucer or dish, adding water and placing the pot on top of the stones.

Top Selling Foliage Plants

Challenges for the Chinese Evergreen
Curled or shriveled leaves and brown edges.
Solutions:
The air is too cool or too dry, or the plant is in a drafty location.
Chinese Evergreens need warm temperatures in the summer and a minimum of 60 degrees in the winter. They also need moist air, Mist leaves regularly. Keep the plant in semi shade to bright indirect light. Keep them well away from direct sunlight.

Challenges for Ferns
Yellowing fronds, brown spots on fronds and brown tips.
Solutions:
The air may be too warm or dry. Ferns' compost must be kept moist-but not waterlogged-at all times. Ferns cannot tolerate high temperatures, so keep them away from heat sources. Good indirect light, preferably from an east or north facing windowsill.

Challenges for Ficuses
Sudden loss of leaves.
Solutions:
The cause depends on the species, but possibilities include over watering, low winter temperature, too little light, too much fertilizer, cold drafts and changing locations. Tree types require placement in bright sun, but others need partial shade.

Smile

While attending a marriage class weekend, Walter and his wife, Ann, listened to the instructor declare. "It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other." He then addressed the men, "Can you name and describe your wife's favorite flower?"
Walter leaned over, touched Ann's arm gently, and whispered "Gold Medal All-Purpose, isn't it?"

Emotional Impact of Flowers

With today's high-tech and fast-paced lifestyle taking its daily toll on our lives, experts advise exercise and other personal lifestyle changes to relieve stress. According to research done at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, nature provides us with a simple way to improve emotional health - flowers.
The presence of flowers triggers happy emotion, heightens feelings of life satisfaction and affects social behavior in a positive manner far beyond what is normally believed.

Wedding Traditions

Wedding traditions have their origins in some rather strange and odd historical customs and superstitions. Some are based on romantic myth and others on religious beliefs.

Sharing the Wedding Cake
When the bride cuts the first slice of cake and offers it to her groom, she is carrying out an early Roman ritual. In Ancient Rome, couples plighted their troth by sharing food. Sharing food is a symbol of sharing one's life.
Wedding Bells and Honking Horns
Loud, honking horns escourting a newly married couple in a motorcade of friends and family may seem to be only in high spirits and boisterous public congratulations, but its roots go deeper. Older traditions were clanging bells and shooting guns, both methods for frightening away evil spirits.
Something Blue
Part of the old litany "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue,"which describes the talismans a bride should wear on her wedding day was quite specific about the color blue. Waring a snippet of blue ribbon, or other bit of blue about her gown denotes purity, fidelity and love. It was also the color associated with the Virgin Mary.
Bridesmaids Dressing Alike
In more superstitious times, the bride and groom were surrounded by friends of similar ages dressed in similar attire, as a way of confusing evil demons. This way the demons could not find the real bride and groom and bring them bad luck. Today's bridesmaids dress alike as do the groomsmen, as it's a way of confusing any who would wish the couple ill luck.
With This Ring
Rings have been with us since time began, but they have become intimately linked to engagement and marriage. Before the minting of coins as currency, gold rings were circulated for that purpose. When a man gave his bride a god ring, it signified that he trusted her with his property. Today the diamond solitaire, symbolic of wealth and undying love, is the popular choice for American engagements.

Cyclamen

Cyclamen is one of the most popular of all winter flowering pot plants. It has obvious charm with compact growth, beautiful swept-back flowers on long stalks and decorated foliage patterned in silver and green. Most Cyclamen are unfortunately consigned to the garbage after a few weeks. With care they will bloom indoors for several months.

Choose a plant with plenty of unopened buds, then put it in a suitable home; a north facing windowsill is ideal. The spot must be cool and away from direct sunlight. A warm room means a short life for a Cyclamen.

Cyclamen prefer a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees. Keep compost moist at all times, but not saturated. Stand the pot on a pebble tray to increase air humidity.

African Violet

African Violets are known for their ability to flower at almost any time of the year. If the plants basic needs are met - steady warmth, careful watering, good light, high air humidity and regular feeding - there should be several blooming periods a year. Dead flowers and damaged leaves should be removed from the plant immediately. Water on the leaves and flowers can cause spots and cold water can cause dead spots in the plant, so water carefully with tepid water. Water either right under the rosette of leaves with a narrow neck water can or pour water into a saucer underneath the pot and allow the roots to absorb what they need.
African Violets prefer bright, indirect light. Keep soil moderately moist. Water when the surface is dry to the touch. High humidity is essential. Place plants on pebble trays. African Violets like warm temperatures of 70 to 75 degrees during the day and 65 to 70 degrees at night.
Available colors include; white, pink, red, purple, yellow and bicolors.

When buying an Azalea, pick one with a few open flowers and an abundance of buds. Pink is the most popular color, but they also come in white, red and purple. Without the correct care the flowers will wilt and the leaves will drop in a week or two. The secret to keeping an Azalea in bloom for many weeks and capable of coming back into flower the following year is to keep it wet(not just moist), keep it cool and keep it brightly lit. Remove faded flowers. Mist leaves daily during the flowering season.

After Blooming Care - Move to a cool frost-free room, continue watering. Place pot in a shady spot outdoors once the danger of frost is past. Keep the Azalea outdoors until early autumn, continuing to water and care for the plant. Bring indoors into a cool room in the fall. When the flowers begin to open move into a normal home environment.

Flowering House Plants

Flowering plants are playing an increasingly important role in house plant displays. Both color and interest are added to a pot group or indoor garden when one or more varieties are added. Cut flowers have, of course, been popular for centuries as a way of bringing living blooms indoors, but the flowering plant in a pot has an added ingredient. There is the fascination of watching the buds open into full bloom and in many cases waiting for new buds to appear.
These flowering plants are of two types - there are many varieties which provide a temporary display indoors and the remaining varieties which can take up permanent residence in your home. This latter group is made up of the Flowering House Plants. Examples of the Flowering House Plant include - Kalanchoe, Spathiphyllum(peace lily), Anthurium, Jasmine, Hibiscus, Citrus, African Violet, Gold Fish Plant, Bromeliad, Orchids and Lipstick Vine.
The second group of plants are the Flowering Pot Plants. Unlike the Flowering House Plants,
the members of this group can only be temporary residents in your home. Once the flowers fade their display days are over. Most are thrown away, depending on the variety. This lack of permanence is, of course, a disadvantage and it may seem strange at first that such plants should be so popular. But in this group are found the most spectacular flowering plants.
Included are the Poinsettia, Azalea, Gloxinia, Cineraria, and Chrysanthemum.
The second important group are the Garden Bulbs. Hyacinth, Crocus, Tulip and Narcissus(daffodils) are included in this group.
After a few weeks the flowers will fade and in nearly all types the leaves fall and the plant may die. This is not your fault, because it is a basic feature of the group. Poinsettias can keep there showy heads of a few months and most of the popular types should stay in bloom for 4-6 weeks. This means that you should regard these plants as a long-lasting substitute for cut flowers rather than as houseplants with a very short life.