Hello my dear gardening friends,

The Green Connection
He who knows what sweets and virtues are in the ground,
The plants, the waters, the heavens, and how to come at these
enchantments, is the rich and royal man.

Ralph Waldo Emerson - Nature 1844

Christmas is almost here. I hope that you have all finished your shopping. The Co-Op- Rural Routes, still has a lot of beautiful gifts, so does Anne Griffin. I was in Ashburnham House in East City the other day and to my surprise, they are now stocking all those things that flower arrangers need – a wonderful selection, of tapes, stickum, floral foam, and willow forms, everything that we have been driving to Toronto to find – the prices are low and the selection large.

Although it is almost Christmas – I have had several enquiries about Poinsettias so here goes once again:

How to Select a Beautiful Plant

Colour: (not only red ones, but they are coming in many colours this year – take time to check them all out).
Choose plants with very well coloured bracts. Do not purchase plants with too much green around the bract edges, this shows that the plant was shipped before it was really mature. It does not usually develop well. Look for plants with dense, plentiful foliage right to the soil line. A lot of green foliage is a sure sign of good health and that is what you are looking for. A good healthy plant that will last in your dry home for a long time.

Durability and Freshness: Select plants with good stiff stems, good bract retention (do not be caught shaking the plants too vigorously!!!). Be careful of plants that are displayed in plastic or paper sleeves and are crowded together in a display. Poinsettias need space and the longer that the plant is “wrapped”, the faster it will deteriorate. Crowding reduces any air flow and will cause earlier loss of bracts or even other problems; plus if one has a bug then they will all get it. Look at the soil if it is overly wet, and the plant is drooping, it could be an indication of root rot.
Once purchased, protect your poinsettia from the cold, chilling winds and temperatures below 50oF. Make sure that you do not take it into a cold car – take along an extra cloth bag – especially when it is cold and windy. Newspaper is also a very good insulator to wrap around the pot

The Do’s and Dont’s of Poinsettia Care:
Do not place your plant near cold draughts or excessive heat. Avoid placing them near appliances, fireplaces or ventilating ducts. On the top of the television, as I often see, is also a “no no”.
Poinsettias are very sensitive to the cold, so if you place any outside for the summer make sure they are inside before September. The flowers may not be placed amongst your winter floral arrangements in outside containers.
Do not over water your plant. Be sure to empty any “saucer” that it is sitting in. Always remove the plant from any decorative containers when watering and make sure that the water drains away completely.
Do not let your plant be exposed to the cold for longer than is absolutely necessary when transporting it.
Do not fertilise the plant whilst it is still blooming.
Once the bracts are finished, do not throw it out (but I always do!). If you have patience, dedication and luck, you can make it re-bloom.
In late March or early April, cut the poinsettia back to about 8” in height. Continue to water, then fertilise with a good balanced all-purpose fertiliser (20-20-20 works well). By the end of May you should have new vigorous growth. Once all frost is past, place the plant outside, it will enjoy the warmth of the summer sun (do you remember what that is - we didn't get a great deal last summer did we?). Keep fertilising every two or three weeks. It can go into any well drained and rich with organic compost flower bed. As I have explained before – I see them in Mexico, growing in sand, by the sea, never in the dark and forming high hedges, blooming their little hearts out!!!!
This plant sets buds and produces flowers as the Autumn days get shorter and the darkness longer. It blooms naturally in November and December. The theory is that the plants should be placed in a dark room, or covered with a box at night, to keep ANY stray light away from them - they do require at least 6 to 8 hours of bright sunlight each day and the night temperatures should be no lower than 60-70oF.
Personally I find it simpler to just purchase new ones each season – then that is me.
The poinsettia is not poisonous, as is widely believed. Studies have shown that a 50lb child would have to eat over 500 bracts to be even slightly nauseous although certain individuals, as with any plant, may have an allergic reaction to the poinsettia. It has been demonstrated as a “safe” plant and in 1992 was included on the list of houseplants as most helpful in removing pollutants from the air. So not only is this a pretty addition to your Christmas decorations, but is useful too in helping to keep the air in your home nice and clean.

The Christmas (Easter, etc.) Cactus is another plant that people seem to have trouble with. Unlike most cacti which grow in dry desert areas, this one is a native of the forests of southern Brazil. Here it is usually found high on the branches of trees. It is not a parasite but uses the branches for support. For nutrient, it depends upon dust, fallen leaves or any other airborne debris that collects in the crotches of boughs and branches or rough bark. So Christmas cacti need a richer growing medium than any other cacti. A good potting mixture is one part humus, one part sand, two parts loam and one half dried manure that is enriched with bone meal.
If you are already owned by a Christmas cactus, remember to give them a spoonful of a balanced fertiliser each and every fall (again, 20-20-20). It also needs more water than other cacti; treat it as just another houseplant and you will have a plant that responds well with minimum attention.
Pieces of the flattened stems root very readily when inserted in plain sand or even garden soil. If your plant does not bloom it is because you are treating it too well; this particular cacti likes to be root bound and if it is starved (no fertiliser), it usually responds quite quickly!!

Have you checked your Christmas roses (Hellebores niger)? Mine are under a couple feet of snow, but I am sure that they are doing just fine. Some are blooming, for they bloom from November-January, and may be cut and used on your Christmas table – it is difficult to believe that you can cut flowers at this time of year!
The Christmas rose is produced on thick, dark, evergreen leaves, which are produced at the end of eight-inch leaf stalks that come from the surface of the soil. Their shape and size are similar to that of the peony, although not on erect shoots. With black roots - it is easily divided in the spring when the flowers have faded - be sure to mark their spot for the leaves vanish too.

Mistletoe is another Christmas favourite especially amongst young lovers, for who can resist standing under a "kissing ball?" This one is a partial parasite living on branches of trees, stealing food by means of a root like absorbing organ, going deeply into the conducting tissues of the host.
The female flowers develop the famous white berries, which when mature, become sticky and stick to the feet, fur and beaks of birds and animals. As these creatures move about they transfer the seeds to yet another branch, and thence from tree to tree.

For those of you who have, as my beloved Jack used to say "killed a tree for Christmas", make very sure that it is standing in water. If it starts to dry out, spray it well and if it is indeed dry, I would not even light it with small Christmas lights, for it is amazing how quickly a tree catches fire and in one swoosh it is gone in a sheet of flame. So many deaths occur this way.

Please no lit candles on the tree – our homes are so much drier than those in Europe and here it is a very dangerous practice. Any candles that you use to decorate your home, DO NOT leave burning alone. We need all the gardeners alive, well and happy for next spring. Remember that your garden depends on you to keep it weed free and healthy – it is there waiting for you beneath that cosy eiderdown of snow - after all who will read all my epistles? Much love to you all for a wonderful holiday and may Santa bring you your heart’s desires.


Prayer for a Garden (Gardener)

Oh Mother Nature be gentle to this garden spot,
Here I have rested on a summer day,
Drinking the wine of this forget-me-not,
Breaking the bread that full blown roses lay
Before my hungry eyes, filling my ear
With bells of tulips ringing bright and clear,
Here have I slept when night came to each flower,
Wrapped in these shadows, pillowed at my head
With velvet pansies through the dark's blue hour,
Here have I dreamed, and I was comforted,
O kindly Mother write upon your scroll;
This is a petalled tavern for the soul.

taken from – the Golden Books

I enjoyed this little poem and I hope that you do too - a little Christmas gift from me to you.

Good Gardening to you all - Very warm hats, gloves and scarves - yes you still need sunscreen - especially if you are out sledging, skiing and snow mobiling (stay off the lakes, they are not frozen yet).

Lovingly, Beryl