Quotation of the Week: "Gardens are the result of a collaboration between art and nature." — Penelope Hobhouse

Caring for and Choosing Poinsettias

Poinsettias Monet and Burgundy

If you've been subjecting a potted poinsettia to fourteen hours of darkness nightly since October, it should be in full bloom now. Stop fertilizing it for now, and display it where you can enjoy it. Buy more potted poinsettias early this month, if you want to give them as gifts or use them to decorate your home or entryway. The best plants are usually sold early. Wherever you purchase your plant, be selective. Choose a plant that hasn't been abused. Exposure to extremes of temperature and over- or underwatering can occur before you take your plant home, and these things can make the green leaves fall off prematurely, a common problem with poinsettias. The colorful bracts should look healthy, not wilted, and the leaves should be green and firmly attached to the stalk. If several have fallen off, that's a bad sign. Also inspect the flowers, the tiny little buttons in the center of the colorful bracts. Make sure they're fresh looking and not brown or mildewy. When you get your poinsettia home, give it the location, light, and other conditions that will help it last. Place your poinsettias out of drafts and in bright light, such as 18 inches to 2 feet below an electric light source, but away from direct sunlight. This should provide the required temperatures: 70 degrees F in the daytime, and 60-65 degrees F at night are ideal. One of the worst places to keep a poinsettia is on top of the TV. If you leave the foil on the plant don't allow it to collect water at the bottom; tear holes in the foil so water doesn't collect in it. The best way to water is to put your plant in the kitchen sink, water it thoroughly, and let it drain before putting it back on display. Properly cared for these plants will last well past New Year's Day. At Green Thumb we have many sizes and varieties to choose from. The new Fashion Forward colors are grown especially for us by a local hybridizer. They make excellent gifts for the office or a Holiday party.

Melissa Andrews Green Thumb Garden Pro

Keep Your Cymbidiums Blooming

Although many cymbidiums start to flower in December, some bloom as early as November. Most bloom between February and May, a few in May and June, and just one or two bloom year round. Choose wisely, and you can have these exotic orchids decorating your home, patio, and garden for six months or more. Protect cymbidiums' bloom spikes from snails when they are outside. Stake the spike to avoid breakage, but allow each spray to maintain its natural arching form. Allow miniatures in hanging baskets to cascade naturally. Continue to feed the plants for bloom with a fertilizer rich in bloom ingredients, such as GrowMore Bloom Formula, until buds open. Once they bloom stop feeding the plants; keep them damp but not soggy. For longer-lasting flowers, move blooming plants into more shade and keep away from bees if they are outside. (The flowers "blush" and fade after pollination.) Once cymbidium spikes have set buds you can force some into bloom for holiday decoration ahead of their natural schedule. Wait until the buds on the bloom spikes are full size and look fat and ready to open. Then place the plant in a warm area with bright light. The warmth plus the longer 'day' will open the buds quickly. Move back into a lower-light area for longer lasting blooms. There's one drawback to forcing - plants you force into bloom early won't perform as well next year. You'll get a few spikes but not as many. This is also a factor to consider when buying new varieties. Some may have been forced into bloom, and you won't get as many spikes the following year. Wait for the third year and they'll be loaded with blooms.

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Permanent Winter Color

Permanent landscape plants that are colorful in winter enliven gardens and make great gifts. Choices include purple princess flower (Tibouchina urvilleana), Mexican flame vine, marmalade bush (Streptosolen jamesonii), Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens - an attractive, evergreen, yellow-flowered vine, though keep in mind that it is poisonous), variously hued New Zealand tea trees (Leptospermum scoparium), and strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo). The last two are among our finest slow-growing, drought-resistant plants that can be grown as shrubs and eventually become small trees. Both develop interestingly shaped trunks. Strawberry tree bears its flowers and colorful fruit now. (The fruit is edible but not flavorful.) There are striking dwarf forms that grow naturally into eye-catching shapes.

What You'll Need: 3 tbsp. butter or margarine 2 medium onions, chopped 2 cups diced butternut squash 1 Granny Smith or pippin apple, peeled and chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 tbsp. flour 1 or 2 tsp. curry powder Pinch of nutmeg 3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock) 1-1/4 cups milk Grated rind and juice of 1 orange Salt and pepper to taste Chopped parsley Step by Step: In a large frying pan, melt butter and sauté onions over medium heat until soft. Add squash, apple and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add flour, curry powder and nutmeg, stirring constantly to blend. Slowly add chicken broth, milk, orange rind and juice, stirring constantly to combine. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the vegetables are very soft. Purée in batches in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley. Yield: 6 servings.