Although I consider myself in possession of two green thumbs, the ability to keep these traditional Christmas flowers alive throughout the year often alludes me. If I manage to keep them growing, getting my poinsettias to flower in December is another story altogether! Thus, like countless others, I find myself purchasing new poinsettia plants each year.

Why is Poinsettia a Christmas Plant?

If we look at poinsettia plant history, we discover this traditional Christmas plant clearly wasn’t the marketing scheme of some big city advertising agency. So, where did the Christmas poinsettia come from? We have to delve into the sordid history of the poinsettia plant to find the answer.

Long before Christianity reached the western hemisphere, the Aztecs cultivated poinsettia plants for a variety of medicinal purposes. These ten-foot-tall woody shrubs were hardly the dainty centerpieces which garnish our modern holiday tables. These weed-like plants, however, were revered by a number of ancient western cultures.

Native Mexicans deemed the poinsettia’s brilliant color a symbol of purity. Which is odd, considering they used poinsettia latex as a hair removal cream. Further south in Peru and Chile, the poinsettia was nicknamed the “Crown of the Andes.” Many traditions and legends adorn the poinsettia plant history. For instance, the Aztecs believed if a pregnant woman looked at a poinsettia in bloom, her baby would turn crosswise in her womb. Yikes!

It wasn’t until after Christianity prevailed among western cultures that the poinsettia became connected with the holiday season. Red and green being traditional Christmas colors, it was only natural that this winter blooming plant would attract the attention of the clergy. Franciscan priests began using poinsettia to decorate nativity scenes in the 17th century. Mexican folktale tells a different story, however. According to legend, a young peasant girl picked poinsettia greens as a Christmas Eve gift for the baby Jesus. As she lay the stems near the manger at the local church’s nativity scene, they burst forth with red blossoms. In Mexico, the poinsettia is called “flores de nochebuena,” which translates as flowers of the Holy Night.

The poinsettia made it way to the United States in the early 1800’s through the efforts of the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett. (No coincidence, the flower was named after him) Poinsett was an amateur botanist who resided in Greenville, South Carolina. He began cultivating poinsettia plants on his plantation.

Others, including Colonel Robert Carr, owner of Bartram nursery, and Paul Ecke, a California horticulturalist, were instrumental in promoting the poinsettia as a Christmas flower. Today, the sale of poinsettias gross over $200 million annually. In case you didn’t know, December 12 is National Poinsettia Day. No this isn’t an artificial holiday created by merchants, but a date set aside by an Act of Congress to honor both this traditional Christmas flower and the man who made it possible, Joel Poinsett.

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Norfolk Pine Holiday Plants

It turns out that my Mom didn’t want her artificial tree anymore, so we inherited a tall, slim, fake Christmas tree perfect in size for our less than lavish home. The thing is, we have to store the tree for the majority of the year in the basement and then haul it upstairs and back down again a month later, which is rather a pain.

So when one of our local stores advertised Norfolk pine holiday plants, I went to look. The shape of a Norfolk Island pine is perfect for hanging light ornaments and I loved the idea of having a living Christmas tree, especially one as unique as this.

Christmas Norfolk Island Pine

That was several years ago and since then the Norfolk has graduated to a larger container but is such a slow grower, I probably won’t have to repot it again for some time. Plus, it grows beautifully as a houseplant during the cooler months and then we wheel it out (the pot is quite large so we have it on a plant dolly with casters) onto the patio when temperatures have warmed.

Caring for our living Christmas tree is fairly simple. Be sure the tree is situated in an area of bright natural light.

Norfolk pines do not like to sit in water and should only be watered when the soil feels dry to the touch down about an inch (2.5 cm.). Be sure to use a well-draining soil medium as well. Fertilize with a complete, slow release food every six weeks during the growing season and scratch into the soil.

During the winter, the tree is in dormancy. While it does still need to be watered, quit fertilizing until the spring when the tips of the branches begin to show bright green new growth. In the wild, Norfolk pines can live up to 150 years. It is doubtful that a container grown Norfolk will get anywhere near that age, but with proper care, you can expect to have your living Christmas tree for years to come.

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Growing plants indoors through the winter is an excellent way to bring color into the home and satisfy our need to grow something green. Forcing flower bulbs over winter is one way to do this.

Forcing Amaryllis Blooms in Winter

Flower forcing is a process where bulbs are made to bloom early. Usually, this includes a chilling period which triggers bloom in the bulbs. While many different types of spring flowering bulbs can be forced indoors, amaryllis flowers require only minimal effort and care. This makes them one of my personal favorites.

Ranging in color from white to tones of deep red, large amaryllis bulbs will produce several flowers per plant. Tall flower stalks may require staking, but are generally carefree beyond regular watering. When ordered from suppliers and potted up, many varieties of amaryllis plant begin to bloom as early as December, others much later. This flexibility in bloom time is just one of many reasons that amaryllis is a popular winter gift and holiday decor item.

To begin growing your own amaryllis flowers, bulbs should be purchased from a reputable source. Since larger bulbs will produce more blooms, it may be worth the extra investment. Next, choose a container (with drainage holes) that is several inches larger than the bulb. Plant the bulb into a well-draining potting mix, so that the tip is above the soil level. Water the pot well at planting. Avoid overwatering the container, as amaryllis bulbs may be prone to rot.

You can lengthen the display of amaryllis flowers in winter through the selection of different varieties, as well as succession planting. Amaryllis bulbs that have not yet been planted can be stored in a cool, dark place. Unlike some forced bulbs, amaryllis plants do not need to be discarded after blooming. Simply deadhead the spent flowers and allow the plant to continue growing. With proper care, you can save these bulbs and get them to rebloom.

Growing plants indoors not only helps fend off those winter blues but forcing flower bulbs, like amaryllis, can make a great winter gift and holiday décor plant for sharing with others.

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Container plantings of a floral nature are sure to add a sense of cheer and appeal to any gathering. As it would turn out, exploring these plant options would be key in the discovery of a new plant that I truly enjoy growing – the phalaenopsis orchid.

Potted Plant Gift Surprise

By the time December arrives in my growing zone, conditions have chilled considerably. While there is not much to be done outdoors at this time, I found that I was consistently drawn to the thought of forcing bulbs and growing plants in indoor containers near a window. My initial love for flowers blooming around the holiday season began when I first grew amaryllis. Forcing these large blooms helped combat the seasonal lows I experienced not being able to work the soil. Soon, I would begin to experiment with other plants, too.

One year, I received a beautiful potted plant gift from a coworker. It was a Phalaenopsis orchid in full bloom. Worried that I would not be able to provide proper care for such a lovely plant specimen, I hesitantly thanked her for the gift and took it home. Immediately, I began to research the care that would be required for the orchid. I was pleasantly surprised to find the growing process to be fairly straightforward.

Once situated, I was overjoyed by the ease at which the plant thrived and how it added to my holiday décor. With a routine watering schedule, I was able to enjoy several weeks of the beautiful pure white blooms. Though the flowers of my other winter plants had long faded, my orchid continued to lift my spirits – even on the darkest of winter days. As the years passed, my small collection of orchids became larger and larger. I would have never imagined that such a small, thoughtful gift would have grown into a hobby that is so lovely!

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Gifting Holiday Plants

Poinsettias are the natural choice when it comes to holiday gifts for plant lovers. But for me, not so much. I love all living things, plants included. So giving me a poinsettia as a gift was essentially dooming an innocent plant to death. In truth, most never made it to Christmas day.

The sad part is, I really was trying to provide proper poinsettia plant care. The most common cause of their early demise was improper watering. I’d get busy with the hustle and bustle of the holidays and neglect to water my poinsettia plants. Its poor little leaves would wilt and droop. Then I’d try and “fix” my oversight. Death would come quickly and I’d be left with a stick from which hung brittle leaves – with the pot still bearing the bright metallic foil wrap.

Poinsettia Plant Care

It took a few years, and quite a few innocent plants, before I got the hang of poinsettia plant care. Not only have I been able to keep live poinsettia plants healthy during the Christmas season, but I’ve also kept them going from year to year. What’s my secret? I’ve learned to listen to my gifted poinsettia friends. Here’s what they’ve told me:

• We scream when we’re thirsty. Not literally, of course, but the signs of impending water deprivation are visible long before tell-tale signs of wilt appear. A hydrated poinsettia has firm stems and stiff leaves. The slightest droop to the foliage means it’s past time to check soil moisture levels. I do this by sticking my finger into the top inch (2.5 cm.) of soil. If it’s dry, I water.

• Help, you’re drowning us. Live poinsettia plants don’t like wet feet and will tell you when the soil is retaining too much moisture by dropping their leaves. I prevent this problem by removing the metallic foil wrap and setting the potted poinsettia plant inside a decorative Christmas planter or basket. (If using the latter, choose one with a plastic liner.) Two inches (5 cm.) of gravel in the bottom keeps the potted poinsettia dry.

• We crave sunlight. If these sun-loving plants are destined to survive past the holiday season, they need energy from the sun. After the holidays, my poinsettia plants seem happiest in a western window where they receive bright, indirect light most of the day and a few hours of direct late day sun. Pale green growth is an indication that poinsettias need more light.

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DIY Holiday Ornaments

Handmade ornaments mean more, the look and feel of the outdoors when everything in the garden is dead or sleeping, is an added bonus. Plus, they are fun to make.

I have a tradition that came from my childhood days (long, long ago). Mama used to always have a countdown to Christmas for us. Usually consisting of a long red ribbon with an ornament affixed to the top and hanging within easy reach of our little hands, she would stick pieces of candy down the length of the ribbon for each day of December up to Christmas Eve. Then, on Christmas morning, we would get to hang our new ornaments on the tree.

While I didn’t use the exact approach when my kids were little, I did provide a new ornament every year… and still do. That’s our tradition – an ornament for each year of life to take with them when they moved out and started their own tree. I carry on this tradition with my grandchildren. There is a downside, though. Ornaments can be expensive, especially as your family grows. DIY holiday ornaments can alleviate this problem.

Nature Inspired Handmade Ornaments

Here are my top picks for easy ornaments crafted from nature. And, remember, you can always give these your own spin.

Wood Slice Ornaments

DIY holiday ornaments from wood slices, also known as cookies (I recently learned that), can be created in so many different ways, but here’s one of my favorites. You’ll need these supplies:

• Wood slices, cut your own or purchase from craft store
• Wood burning tool (for etching)
• Design template or create your own
• X-acto knife
• Sandpaper
• Ribbon, yarn, jute, etc.
• Glue

If necessary, sand down your wood slice so that it’s nice and smooth. Apply your template of choice or lightly draw your design first. Use the X-acto knife to carefully trace over your design, carving into the wood just enough to make indentations. Go over the design with the wood burning tool. Wipe it clean, glue your ribbon to the back, let it dry and then hang. Alternatively, you can pre-drill small holes for hanging. You could also paint a design instead and forgo the etching.

Twig Tree Ornaments

These are not only neat but so simple the kids can make them. Here’s what you need to get started:

• Popsicle sticks
• Twigs and branches
• Glue
• Scissors
• Yarn
• Small decorative items of choice

Take the kiddos out for a nature hike, or just a walkthrough of the garden. Collect some small twigs. Make sure they’re dry. You can either break them or use scissors to cut them into various lengths. Add glue to the popsicle stick and simply attach the twig pieces along the length of the stick, from smallest to largest, so that it creates a tree shape. Allow to dry completely. Glue some ribbon/yarn to the back to hang as is OR glue on decorative items (sequins, pom poms, small painted acorns, etc.) for ornaments.

Pinecone Ornaments

There are far too many ways to take this one, so my advice is let your creative juices guide you. Personally, I like them as natural as possible but feel free to create little pinecone gnomes, complete with felt hats and mittens; pinecone reindeer with googly eyes and pipe cleaner antlers; or paint them, adding embellishments like glitter.

All you need to get started are pinecones of various sizes. Then whatever you have handy – paint, glue, glitter, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, glue, ribbon, felt pieces, etc.

Terrarium Ornaments

The terrarium ornament is one that I will be trying my hand at this year. Here’s what you need to create this mini terrarium:

• Clear plastic or glass ornaments
• Potting soil (for cacti and succulents)
• Paint brush and/or tweezers
• Small funnel
• Moss, air plants or succulents (small enough to fit)
• Water bottle (for misting)

Remove the top from the ornament, unless you get one with a hole specially for this purpose. Use the funnel to fill the bottom with succulent soil (less than halfway). Carefully push the plants through the opening and use tweezers (or paintbrush) to arrange them as desired. Mist with water so it is damp, but not overly wet. Replace the top and hang.

Pressed Flower Ornaments

I recently started pressing flowers and leaves for various craft projects, so when I came across these handmade ornaments, it was a definite keeper to try out. To begin, you need to make the clay using 1 cup baking soda, ½ cup corn starch, and 3/4 cup warm water.

In a small saucepan, mix the dry ingredients and add the warm water. Continue stirring over medium heat, until it starts to bubble and come away from the sides of the pan – should resemble a soft dough-like consistency. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Then knead the “dough” for a couple of minutes. Take a rolling pin and spread it out so it’s about ½ inch thickness. Use a cup or cookie cutter (round or various shapes) to cut the ornaments. Poke a hole for hanging at the top of each. Bake at 200 F. (100 C.) for an hour.

As you’re waiting, gather your remaining items: pressed flowers/leaves, mod podge, small paintbrush, and string or ribbon. Once the ornaments are finished and thoroughly cooled, add a layer of mod podge to the front. Place your flower(s)/leaves on top. Then gently paint another layer of mod podge over top. Let it dry, string and hang.

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So many people are hurting, so many animals and plants threatened or destroyed by fire or flooding or storms, species lost to global warming. We all want to help; I want to help. But aside from being a good citizen, following recommendations and donating to the causes I support, I feel powerless. That’s when I love my garden most.

Garden Sanctuary – A Place Where I Can Be

My garden is a refuge, a safe space, a corner of the world full of peace and beauty. My trees thrive, my succulents produce new branches, my vegetable garden overflows with its bounty. Flowers light up the corners, climb the fences, fragrance the air. Birds and bees feast.

Sitting outside in the midst of all this happy mix, I feel a sense of joy that ordinary life seems to lack for me. I listen to the tweeting of the birds, the wind in the leaves, the sound of the ocean a mile away, and I can be there, truly in that moment. It makes me realize how I hold a large part of myself in reserve when I move about the world these days, protecting it, perhaps, from the ceaseless stream of anxiety-producing news.

Gardening to Heal – A Place Where I Can Help

Things go wrong in the garden. Lettuce is eaten by mice, branches break, plants wilt or get attacked by aphids, hanging baskets fall. But I love these problems because I can do something to fix them. I can protect the lettuce, prune out the broken branches, bring in ladybeetles for the aphids and pick up the hanging baskets.

I don’t think any of us in our wildest dreams hope to fix all problems, but it feels terrible when we can’t fix any of them. My garden is a place where I can take action to help, to heal some of the wounds, to feel I can make a difference.

Gardening for the Environment – A Place of Harmony

Everyone gets along in my garden. The nasturtiums climb over the jade plants, the squash plants provide shade to the tomato roots, the tallest trees provide refuge for birds and squirrels. Flower pollen feeds the bees and hummingbirds sip from the salvia blossoms.

In the garden, I get a sense of how life might have been in yesteryear, perhaps in earlier centuries. Where did we go wrong in the wider world? I come to the garden to replenish my hope, find peace, and get back to nature. It’s my small way of giving back.

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My gardens, during that period, were pots of herbs grown on sunny kitchen windowsills. These were my first adult gardens. Even now, I keep the herb garden tradition going by making and gifting herb gardens.

Growing Herbs is Easy, but…

In general, herbs are tough, resilient and tolerant plants. But even though herbs are generally easy to grow, you still need to learn something before you jump in.

I patterned my first herb garden after the Simon and Garfunkel song Scarborough Fair, buying little pots of herbs – parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme – and planting them together. It only took a few weeks before things went downhill. While all of these herbs like sun, only parsley liked the copious amounts of water I was offering and the others rapidly died.

Herb Garden Evolution

I didn’t give up. The next time I tried an herb garden, I bought similar size ceramic pots, one per herb. Then I united all of the little pots of herbs by placing them on a long, narrow rattan tray that was just the right size for six pots. I think I added basil and mint.

This worked better, since I could water the basil, mint and parsley together, but cut back drastically on water for the others. As you may have guessed, the mint quickly took over the whole show. I ended up transferring it to a neighbor’s backyard where it is still thriving decades later.

Gifting Herb Gardens

Now that I have relatively permanent addresses, I keep herbs in outdoor gardens, blending those that like lots of water in with the greens and planting the rosemary, thyme and others that prefer dry, hot climates in with the succulents.

But I still love the concept of making a garden of potted herbs. In fact, it is one of my favorite gifts to make for Christmas: six little herb plants in six little pots. Sometimes, I even paint little nametags on the containers. And I always offer a little card giving instructions for care of each herb.

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Community Pea Patch Volunteering

Some of my best times were spent helping to build a pea patch in my community. I was looking for a position as a garden volunteer in a capacity that would help my neighborhood. I needed a flexible volunteer position, as I still had work and my own chores with which to contend. It turned out that a new pea patch was being developed within walking distance. I applied and was accepted. All I needed to do was bring some tools, muscle, and ideas for the space. You could come at any time, so I tried to fit in some evenings and every Sunday.

The site was donated by the local power company. It was a vacant corner lot full of weeds, but with a dedicated water source. Our first task was to build a shed to house our tools and materials. Often, pea patches are located in underserved neighborhoods, and such was the case with ours. It wouldn’t be smart to leave even a wheelbarrow unattended. Next, we contacted local businesses for help funding the site and for donated materials. Our community businesses responded with gusto and soon we were flooded with reclaimed and repurposed materials, as well as funds and new donations.

We needed a vision, so we had meetings to brainstorm how to design the site. We wanted paths between the beds, artwork, a bench, and much more. Once we had a plan, the hard work started. We were donated an earth mover for a few days, which made the hard work of shifting dirt and leveling much easier. We got to work with several dump trucks worth of compost, gravel, cement, and other items. As we worked, the beds began to appear, flanked by gravel paths. The edges of the entire lot were bordered by handmade cement edging. Stepping stones were personalized by every volunteer.

Over the course of a month, our community pea patch began to resemble a garden. We planted perennials like raspberries at one end of the lot, both as a border and as an edible. A few fruit trees went in near the shed. The rest was divided up into little plots. Each plot was enriched with compost so it would be ready for the designees of each garden. As a garden volunteer, I was eligible for a site but I declined it in favor of giving my position away to someone else in our community. I had enough garden to manage and wanted someone without land to have the opportunity.

In just a few months, the pea patch was humming with activity. Our diverse neighborhood found people of all walks of life growing their produce. They shared seeds with each other, helped water gardens when the owners were away, gave away excess produce and more. The whole experience was heartwarming and delightful. It was truly a labor of love and I’m sure it is still a location of neighborhood cooperation and sharing.

Giving time and a little effort is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself and others. It doesn’t take money and it need not take all your time. Just a little bit of yourself can make a big difference.

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Tales from a Crafty Gardener

I started crafting when I was very young, mostly embroidered pillowcases. My work was far from perfect, but I was proud. By high school, I had discovered a love for crewel embroidery and, of course, macrame. (It was the 70s!) My mother taught me to sew, and I also learned sewing in 4-H clubs.

Before I started crafting, I loved paint-by-number. I was the type of kid who always colored within the lines. When I was about 12, I loved putting models together – sometimes cars, but mostly monsters like Frankenstein and Phantom of the Opera. I still love fine, detailed work. I enjoy quilting, but I don’t have the patience (or space) to make bed quilts. I like to make quilted wall-hangings, especially appliqued. I’m also fascinated with paper piecing, which is basically just paint-by-number with tiny pieces of fabric.

Speaking of fabric, the closet in our spare bedroom is stuffed with sewing supplies, thread, yarn, cutting tools, and other craft supplies. When Covid-19 arrived earlier this year, I donated yards and yards of fabric to mask makers in my town. I was surprised how much fabric I had stowed away – more than I could use in several lifetimes. If I’m not using it, why not put this to use by giving back to others. I love fabric and can’t resist buying more for my stash anyway, so I will no doubt acquire more.

I haven’t been quilting lately because my time is taken up with work and music, but weaving has always fascinated me. This spring, I needed something to distract me from all that was going on in the world, so other than spending time in the garden, I purchased an Inkle loom. My hope is to make guitar straps, belts, purse straps, and other narrow, woven items. Hopefully, I’ll have more time to work with the loom this winter since there’s nothing much I can do in the garden. It seems like there are never enough hours in the day.

Crafty Ways to Give Back

Even though the gardening season has gone to bed for most of us and we’re stuck inside, there’s still plenty you can do to keep busy – even if you don’t consider yourself a crafty gardener.

• Look around your house and do a deep cleaning of that packed closet you’ve been meaning to get to. There could be clothing or other items you can donate.

• Maybe your houseplants have grown excessively this past season and could use some thinning out. Start some cuttings and gift them to friends and family, or other grateful gardeners that will gladly take them off your hands.

• Got an abundance of stored garden produce? Gift some of these too. You can even get crafty and create pretty tags and labels for them.

• Perhaps you have far too many gardening pots piling up in the shed or greenhouse. Give them new life and use them to house those plant cuttings for others or give them as gifts for the holidays. You could also sell them, donating proceeds to a special cause.

Nothing feels as good as giving back to others, regardless of how small it may seem. Sometimes, being crafty is just that. Crafting something special from excess items – be it fabric for masks, clothing for those less fortunate, plants for fellow gardeners, homegrown produce for fighting hunger, or handmade gifts from the heart for those you love, even strangers. Sometimes, the simple act of giving is all the craftiness you need.

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