Bringing that Holiday Cheer
It will soon be that time again with Christmas turkey, ham, hot chocolate, Christmas stockings by the fireplace oh and we can’t forget the mistletoe, family, friends, and all that great stuff that gives such a great cheer.
This time of the year brings with it such joy and gladness as persons move back and forth making plans, crowded malls, Christmas carols, snowmen, classic Christmas movies like a Christmas Carol, and so on makes this season so festive.
But what makes this time of the year also grand is the Christmas flowers (Poinsettia) that send the message home that it’s Christmas. I remembered my former job where I was employed at a five-star resort. A team of us was responsible for taking care of the interior plants.
Christmas time was so exciting because we got to transform the lobbies and many other areas with beautiful poinsettias in all of their dazzling colors. It gave the atmosphere such a great feeling of Christmas.
Private Homes
The interior plantscape staff also had the wonderful experience of decorating many private homes. I remembered a particular year we were given instructions to decorate the CEO’s home with poinsettias.
The wife of the CEO was not home at the time so both my then co-worker and I got to work, we were all done before Mrs. O Neal came home. We packed up and waited outside for our ride to arrive. Mrs. O Neal came home and what a surprise she got.
As she exited her vehicle we greeted her but did not say a word about the Christmas decorations, she entered the house and then returned bursting open her front door with such excitement, and shouted to us with a big smile on her face it’s Christmas.
Both my co-worker and I looked at her with smiles on our faces, it gave us such a good feeling that we had impacted Mrs. O Neal in such an awesome way by decorating her home for Christmas for both her and her family to enjoy.
This is the only time of the year when poinsettias are showcased in such a beautiful display. So how do we decorate with these Christmas beauties that give that WOW?
Decorating with poinsettias
Great Ideas
1. Placing an arrangement of poinsettias as a centerpiece on your living or dining room table will give that wow as your family and friends take in all that beauty which gives such an inviting and warm feeling.
2. You may have a table in your foyer area. This is a great place to place an arrangement of poinsettias that greets not only you but both families and friends.
3. Instead of using the Christmas pine tree why not purchase the frame of a Christmas tree and installed assorted colors of poinsettias. These frames can be purchased from your garden center.
4. Have a figurine stand, why not consider removing some of those figurines and adding some poinsettias in decorative pots.
5. Why not change your existing houseplants with poinsettias.
6. If you have decorative pots in your living room, patio or porch why not place a few poinsettias in those pots and around the base of your existing plants.
7. Poinsettias can be used in your indoor garden arrangement like an atrium.
8. Placing a poinsettia or two on the breakfast counter can work wonders.
9. Add assorted color poinsettias to decorative baskets and place them through your out home, patio, and even on a small glass table by the pool will brighten up those areas.
10. Using poinsettias as cut flowers make a great idea.
Poinsettias in the garden
After the holiday season, many people are at a loss as to what to do with their poinsettias. For some it’s in the garbage but why dispose of your poinsettias when you can plant them in your garden.
Wait until the leaves are all gone then prune your poinsettia plant back to 2 buds and place in a well-lite or a location that gets lots of light. When the weather has warmed up your poinsettias can be transferred or transplanted outdoors.
Poinsettias should be planted in an area that gets 5-6 hours of sunlight. The soil should be well-drained soil because poinsettia doesn’t like wet feet. Keep the soil a little moist not waterlogged.
Once a new leaf starts to emerge fertilize your plant with a water-soluble fertilizer. Poinsettias tend to get very leggy meaning your poinsettia plant will have a lot of stem and very little leaves.
To prevent this from happening pinch back the tips of the new growth. This will give you a bushier more fuller plant you can be proud of.
Insect pests of poinsettias
Keep an eye out for insect pests such as spider mites and whiteflies. The use of insecticidal soap can bring these insect pests under control. Read and follow the manufactures label.
Diseases of poinsettias
Poinsettias must also be monitored for diseases such as crown and root fungal disease along with foliage fungal disease. Crown and root fungal disease shows up as signs of black areas that develop. Treating this disease is difficult and in most cases, the plant has to be discarded. Applying a fungicide may offer some help.
Foliage disease appears as fuzzy grey areas across the surface of the poinsettias foliage. This disease also affects the bracts of the poinsettia. Using fungicides such as garden fungicide may help to bring this disease under control.
Powdery mildew also affects poinsettias and appears as white power on the foliage of your plant. Applying fungicides such as garden fungicide may help. A word to note. It is always good to catch the disease in the early stages for these fungicides to be effective.
To assist in the prevention of plant disease do not overwater your poinsettias. Give them the right amount of water will lessen their chance of contracting a disease. Also, water plants before nightfall because watering too late in the evening will cause moisture to remain which contributes to disease development.
Care of poinsettias
The care of these plants is so important, in keeping them vibrant and healthy I have provided a link to a post that I had written sometime back almost a year ago to be exact so check it out to see how easy it is to care for poinsettias.
The final word
Poinsettias are great to have, just the sight of these plants brings that Christmas cheer with all of its excitement which lets us know that this occasion is the time to be merry and jolly as we look forward to spending time with family and friends.
So let’s welcome this time of the year by decorating our homes with these Christmas plants in all of their beauty. This is the season to be jolly, making merry as we welcome the spirit of the season.
About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
I have to say that Poinsettias are most likely my wife’s favorite flower of all seasons. Trust me you know when it is the season around our place. You have provided a lot of great info here. It is great and I will be sure to show my wife. She will be interested. I do have one question. Will cats get sick if they eat Poinsettia I will watch for your answer. Thank you.
So happy to hear about your wife love for this plant but these plants have been know to make cats sick so keep them high out of your cats reach and you will be fine. All the best to you and your wife. Have a wonderful day.
I like red. The red flowers were known as ‘Flowers of the Holy Night’ by the phrase ‘Flores de Noche Buena’. They bloomed each year during the Christmas season. That is where I enjoy it so much. Some care needed or the poinsettias before their blooming season but I can do it easily.
Hello so nice to meet you. These flowers are a favorite at Christmas time. So happy that I could help. All the best to you and have a good day.
I have to agree, a huge part of this time of year is the beautiful poinsettias. I am so glad that you have included, not only how to use them in decorating, but also how to care for them. I was not aware of the pests either, so there is a lot of great pointers here. I imagine that the surprises you have gotten to see on others faces has really made this time of year so much more special to you personally.
Thank you for being completely thorough and talking about more than one type of setting and many options to use these beautiful plants to decorate our homes this and many years to come.
Hello so good to hear from you. Poinsettia sends such a strong and beautiful message at Christams time. It gives such a good feeling to see the faces of many people light up with joy. So happy that I could help. Wishing you all the best and have a good day.
Hello! How are you? I also love Christmas, although the place where I live is very different from how you describe it, because here the summer will enter, and in December it is very hot.
We are also used to making a family dinner, decorating the house with colored lights and Christmas decorations, and of course, the Christmas tree cannot miss.I had the poinsettia plant in my house, I always liked it and I used it in several Christmas decorations, I did not know there were more colors than the classic red.My plant died when we brought a new dog and he broke the whole plant, but I will try to plant again and protect it against the animals :)Pao
Hello! I am well hope all is good with you. Christmas is really a wonderful time of the year especially when spending it with family and friends. There are several colours such as red, pink, yellow, red and green, white, white and red and I think a light blue.
These colours are really amazing. So sorry to hear of your plant, just place somewhere high and your plant will be just fine. Poinsettias are known to be toxic to dogs so againt keep out of reach from your dog. So happy to help and please let me know how it goes. Have a good day.
I love that plant, I always have at least one poinsettias in my home around Christmas. Great idea to create a centerpiece though. And I am going to do point 6 too! This will look great and colorful on my patio during the dark winter days. That will bring in some Christmas cheer! Thanks!
Loes
Hello Loes so happy to see you, have not heard from you for a while hope all is well. Poinsettias are really amazing and do bring with it the spirit of the season. So happy that I could help. wishing you all the best with your project as you welcome that Christmas cheer. All the best to you and have good day.
Thanks:) Yes all is well, enjoy your Christmas days and I wish you a terrific start of 2019, see you around Norman.
Loes
My mother is a big fan of poinsettias at this time of year – wherever she can fit them in the house, she will. I’ll have to show her this article as she could do with the logic behind ‘correctly’ decorating – it’s also great that you included advice on how to look after the flowers after they are set up!
Thanks for the advice, and such a simple to-the-point article to follow!
(And have a Merry Christmas!)
Hello Chris so happy to hear from you. Poinsettias are a must during this time of the year as we welcome the spirit of the season. I am so happy that I could help and thanks so much for those kind words wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas. All the best to you and have a good day.
Excellent information. Like everyone else I love seeing the poinsettias at Christmas time. It becomes a personal challenge for me each year to see how long I can keep one alive after the season is over. Your article will help me greatly and maybe this is the year that I keep one going from one Christmas season to the next. We’ll see! Thanks.
Poinsettias are really amazing as it brings that Christmas cheer as we welcome the spirit of the season. I am so happy that I could help. It is good to know we can keep these amazing plants and install them in our home gardens. Wishing you all the best of success and have a good day.
I loved reading this article with such a warm Christmas feel and one of the things that make me think of christmas is the Poinesstias.
Here i learned two new things, one that they come in different colours – i only ever see them in red in the shops! and two that you can replant them in your garden after christmas, i absolutely love the thought of doing this and i shall shall! Thankyou for the planting tips. I have booked marked this article when the time comes!
Hello Dianne so happy that I could help. Poinsettias are really amazing and do bring that Christmas cheer as we welcome the spirit of the season. I am so happy that I could help and wishing you and yours a merry Christmas as we enter this festive season.