December: Flower of the month

December: Flower of the month
Poinsettia



The first December birth flower is the Poinsettia which equals celebration, success, reassurance, good cheer and merriment, this December birth flower is a fitting tribute to December’s joyful celebrations.

Also known as the Christmas flower, Mexican flame leaf or Christmas star or Noche Buena, the poinsettia, is a plant known for its striking red displays at Christmas time. Having all of these special names makes this plant seem all the more important and heart warming.

The Poinsettia originated in Mexico before it became popular in American Christmas traditions. Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico and amateur botanist, introduced the Poinsettia to the United States in 1928. The bright red, pink, or white colors of the Poinsettia, which are perceived as the petals of the flower, are really leaves called bracts. The actual flowers are small, yellow clusters of balls in between those brilliant bracts. This plant is sold in pots during the holiday season, yet with special attention, the Poinsettia can grow to enormous sizes. This plant is known as a short day plant because it grows best when the nights are long and the days are short. It was once thought that the Poinsettia is a poisonous threat to pets and small children - this is no longer considered a fact. There is no evidence that the Poinsettia is a hazard. However, eating large amounts of the plant will cause upset in the digestive system. In other words if you sit down and eat all of your poinsettia plants you will be puking.

The Aztec Indians prized poinsettias and considered them a symbol of purity because of their brilliant red color. They made a reddish-purple dye from the colored "flowers", bracts. They also made a medicine against fevers from the latex sap of the plant.

A Mexican legend explains how poinsettias came to be associated with Christmas. Apparently, a child who could not afford a gift to offer to Christ on Christmas Eve picked some weeds from the side of a road. The child was told that a humble gift, if given in love, would be acceptable in God's eyes. When brought into the church, the weeds bloomed into red and green flowers and the congregation felt they had witnessed a Christmas miracle.

This is how the Poinsettia became known as Fleur de Bueno Noche in Mexico, or the Flower of the Holy Night. This flower is also referred to as the Nativity Flower because the altar is often decorated in Poinsettias during the holiday season.

Keeping your Poinsettia - After the holidays

Keeping your Poinsettia - After the holidays

Many people try to carry their poinsettia plants over and rebloom them the next year. If you have a big ol' green thumb and the incentive you might give this beautiful plant a try.

Poinsettias are perhaps the most difficult flowering potted plants to rebloom in the home. I have never had a personal success story, but I think my mother has, she has a big ol' green thumb, and as her grandchildren are fond of saying Grandma can do anything. If you must try, follow the instructions carefully.

After blooming, gradually withhold water. The leaves will then yellow and fall off. Place the dried-off plant in a cool place with temperatures 50 to 60 degrees until spring. Water only enough to keep the roots from drying out. This means very, very, little water.

In the spring place the plant in a warm room and prune the stems back to about six inches. If there is more than one plant in the pot, divide and repot them at this time.

For repotting use a well-drained soil. Potting soils available at garden shops are satisfactory.

Or even better you may use one part vermiculite, one part peat moss or leaf mold, and one part sand or perlite. See this is where the big 'ol green thumb comes in. If you are scratching your head saying what are those items you are not a serious 'Big ol' green thumber'

After repotting, place the plants in a bright, sunny, south window until frost danger is past. In New England that often means, wait a really long time. Sink the pot outdoors where it gets some wind protection, but where it gets sun most of the day. Light shade in the hottest part of the summer afternoon is desirable. Lift the pot occasionally to keep roots from growing into surrounding soil. A small piece of brown paper bag at the bottom of the hole will also help keep the pot from rooting in the soil.

As new shoots develop, cut them back to allow two nodes or pairs of leaves to remain. This will develop a large, bushy plant by late summer. Stop pinching back after mid-August.

Plants may be started from cuttings, but rooting is fairly difficult (when I say fairly I am being generous) under home conditions. Keep the plant in good growing condition by watering and feeding regularly during the summer. Add a complete liquid fertilizer about once every two weeks. Watch carefully for insect or disease problems and control immediately. Discard diseased plants. Before the weather becomes cool in fall, bring the plant indoors and place it at a bright, sunny, south window. Cool night temperatures will improve flower quality. Day temperatures should be 70 to 75 degrees. Good luck with the listed daytime temps here in New England.

The poinsettia is a short day (long night) plant. Make sure it receives no additional light at night while flowers are forming. The critical period begins about October 1, and continues until colored bracts and flower buds are visible.

Even short periods of dim light can prevent flowering. If the plant is kept in a lighted room, cover it every night at dusk with a light-tight bag or cover. Remove the cover at about 8:00 a.m. each morning. This type of devotion to a single plant usually only comes from a master gardener or ...a 'Big ol' green thumber'

Extra illumination from a street or yard light will have the same effect on a poinsettia growing outdoors as it does on plants growing indoors. If you want them to flower, be careful in selecting the location in the landscape. Place the plant so it will receive no additional light after October 1, until the time the bracts show color if they are to bloom by Christmas. If these procedures are followed carefully, the plants should flower by Thanksgiving. You know Thanksgiving the holiday where some well loved family member will accidentally drop a drink on your poinsettia and ruin all your hard work. This is the time when you have to try really hard to remember how much you love your family. ;)

If placed in a protected area where early fall frosts will not harm them, they will make beautiful plants for the next holiday season. They should be cut back 8 to 10 inches each spring to encourage new growth from the base As new shoots develop, cut them back to allow two pairs of leaves per shoot to remain. Every time a new shoot produces about four or five pairs of leaves prune it again. Do not prune after mid-August or flower buds and colored bracts may not form in time for Christmas. Am I repeating myself? You can never say this stuff too many times.

For best results poinsettias must have a well-drained soil and must be fertilized regularly. While poinsettias will not tolerate a wet, poorly drained soil, they do require plenty of water for optimum growth. They tend to drop their leaves if allowed to become too dry.

Now for Best, best results buy your poinsettias each year at Carey's Flowers, come early when the selection is still vast and enjoy a beautiful, living, blooming addition to your home at Christmas time.

How to choose a Pointsetta

How to choose a Pointsetta

* First go to your local family owned, brick and mortar florist NOT a big box store. Geesh! Buy local! Do you know that for every $100 spent in a locally owned independent store, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays here. Spend it online and nothing comes home.

* Don't buy Poinsettia plants that have been left standing outside a corner store; they will already be dead or dying. Go figure why corner stores do this. I guess it works for spontaneous sales, but the reality is that Euphorbia pulcherrima (what a poinsettia is) cannot tolerate cold. These plants originate from Mexico h-e-l-l-o!

* Leaves should not be falling off. If the Poinsettia plant looks a little sparse and twiggy, it has probably been in its plastic sleeve too long. Now why would you want a sparse twiggy plant anyway ewww.

* Look for the cluster of yellowy-green flowers in the centre of each cluster of red leaves. These are the Poinsettia's plant's true flowers; the decorative leaves are actually brachts. The flower cluster should be firm and intact. If they are breaking off or if you can't see any, the plant is inferior. However refrain from pointing this out to the plant itself, it is doing it's best.

* Don't buy a Poinsettia plant if it stinks. Sniff the pot. If the roots are rotting from over-watering or poor air circulation, there will be a sweet, musty smell. This is a sign that the plant is already on the decline. Again why would you want a musty plant in your home?


How to get a Poinsettia plant home

* Take your plant home in a warm car immediately after buying it. Don't leave it in a cold car while you load all the wood you bought at a big box store as the car will be freezing even if you are running the heat full blast. Also don't go shopping for a couple of hours or even a couple of minutes after you purchase your plant at your local brick and mortar florist, take that baby home. Try to remember we live in New England folks and this plant is from MEXICO.

* Make sure your Poinsettia plant is well-wrapped, to avoid giving the plant a cold shock. It should come with a sleeve that can be stapled closed over the canopy of leaves.

How to care for it

* Keep your Poinsettia plant in a room where the temperature stays around 68 F to 70 F and where it will get indirect sunlight. Don't place it near a drafty windowsill. Or cook it by placing on a radiator. The latter happens more than you want to even think about.

* Keep it away from heat vents and avoid placing it too close to a fireplace where heat can scorch leaves and dry out the soil, killing the plant quite quickly.

* Don't over-water. This causes root rot. You can water from the bottom by standing the pot in a few inches of water in the sink for no more than 5 minutes, then let drain well before returning to it's spot in your home.
Carey's Flowers preferred watering method is to water under the plant just above the soil right at the pot line with approximately 1 measuring cup of water. Check the plant the next day if the soil is still moist that is plenty of water, if it seems dry add another 1/2 measuring cup of water. The water should not run out of the bottom of the plant and the soil should be just damp not wet or 'muddy' Each home a Poinsettia plant resides in will require a different amount of water due to things like: home temperature, type of home heating, amount of light plant is getting, etc. Allow the soil to dry out slightly between watering.

* Don't leave your plant in its paper protective sleeve for more than 48 hours maximum. The Poinsettia plant produces low levels of ethylene gas. If allowed to build up in the sleeve, this will cause leaves and bracts to droop or drop right off. This has nothing to do with your florist it has to do with the neglect of the plant, it needs to be out of it's protective sleeve once it's home.

Poinsettias are NOT poisonous!

Hi all! Well, I made it to my second day of posts! I'm on a full on roll now!!

Poinsettia is the traditional Christmas flower, loved for its festive red bracts and dark green foliage. For years poinsettias have been considered poisonous. It was thought that the leaves, stems and milky sap could cause great harm and even death to anyone who ate them. This seemed to apply in a special almost Voodoo like way to cats, as in "OH! that plant will KILL your cat instantaneously while you watch on in horror!" Many people avoid these beautiful plants for this very reason.

The florist trade, in an effort to exonerate the poinsettia, spent thousands of dollars to determine just how toxic the plant was. Extracts of sap, leaf and stem tissue was injected into white mice to determine the levels of toxicity. I'll just throw in here that cats eat mice. The procedure used by the United States Food and Drug Administration was followed with no adverse effect to the mice.

Let me just add that for many, many years we were blessed with a greenhouse cat here at Carey's Flowers named Buster. Each and every year (as Paula Deen would say) she ate herself some poinsettia plants and she went to heaven at the ripe old age of 23.
This means the poinsettia can be removed from the list of poisonous plants.

However the Veterinarians are slow to recognize this fact. I spent the better part of 20 minutes explaining to my Vet, that the facts are the facts and it's time to let the old world thinking and warnings go. I'm pretty sure I convinced her and her staff, but just in case I missed the mark with them, I sent over a bunch of poinsettia plants for the office. Each plant had a note attached that said - ' I am not poisonous to people or animals, I am pet friendly and house beautiful.'
This does not mean I recommend eating the plant, and I would recommend keeping the plant out of the reach of small children, but now you no longer need to worry. Remember some people are allergic (allergic not 'will keel over dead') to the sap. Also eating houseplants is downright yucky if you ask me, and if you have a habit of eating them (houseplants) perhaps you should seek help. :)

Poinsettia - How do you say that?

Selecting, transporting and caring for a Christmas poinsettia is a garden project because it is not the same as buying a bar of soap. You need to know how to pick a healthy plant and how to get it safely home without subjecting it to damage from the cold, particularly here in New England where the weather so unpredictable.

It's important to know where to place it in your home and how to water it properly and care for it in order to maintain its health and vigor over the festive season.

But before we get to the nitty gritty of all this, there is a more fundamental question on the minds of people (well at least for our customers): What is the proper way to pronounce the word poinsettia? Is it poinsett-ee-ah or poinsett-uh?

Does it help to know that the reason this particular plant has become such an iconic symbol of Christmas is that back in 1825 the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett, fell in love with the plant, which is native to that part of the world, and took it back up north to Carolina? Not many years later, the Ecke Co. in California made a killing by learning how to hybridize and propagate poinsettias in the tens of thousands.

Did that help you work out your pronunciation? No, I thought not.

OK, the Canadian Oxford Dictionary says poinsettia can be pronounced either way: poinsett-ee-ah or poinsett-uh.

Oxford English says no, no, no, it is most definitely poinsett-ee-ah.

Merriam-Webster, the U.S. dictionary, only adds to the confusion by adding an extra "t" and insisting it be pronounced point-sett-uh.

How do we say it here at Carey's Flowers? Poinsett-uh(period). End of story. Let me add we have been here for almost 100 years, so I think you should all respect your elders and say it our way. This subject makes me laugh almost as hard as the Gerbera and Hydrangea mess Miss Martha created. So in the end don't take it too seriously and ....Just order from Carey's Flowers no matter how you say it - we'll get the point (pun intended)

Millions of poinsettias are sold in North America every year. Red is still the color of choice and the No. 1 best-seller. Designer poinsettias (with soft pinks and creamy white bracts) are also popular. Tri-color pots featuring three colors - red, pink and white - are the hottest trend at the moment at the big shows in the big city's, but here in good old New England where tradition is still king - Red is still the color of choice.

Punky poinsettias (with white speckles or crinkly rosette-like leaves) are the least popular, but growers still cultivate them as a novelty item and to give consumers more selection.

"Nothing says Christmas like a red poinsettia,"

Hard to believe, perhaps, but there are as many as 100 varieties of poinsettias in cultivation. Cortez Red, Freedom Red and Sonora Red are three of the most successful varieties. Bestselling whites are Cortez White, Freedom White and Whitestar.

Well my goal was to get at least a post a day out on Holiday topics........I'm already thinking that was too lofty a goal. Wish me well!

It's such a great feeling

It is such a great feeling to celebrate a special occasion with a special person. To celebrate life and accomplishments, it is customary to give a gift that means something special. Everyone wants to feel special during these times, and one way of making that person feel special is by giving the gift of flowers.

You can go shopping for gifts at any store that you like, but sending flowers are gifts that will turn any room brighter. It will make the whole atmosphere of the occasion burst into smiles on all people. It is hard sometimes to find that perfect gift for that special time, and that is where a florist comes in.

A florist is the expert that you are looking for to make sure you get the right arrangement for all your special needs and occasions. They are the ones who know what you are looking for and will spend the time necessary to meet your gift giving needs. They can arrange all different types of flowers in any way and will do it at a price that is right for you.

The flower specialists in London Ontario are the best at their trade. Their desire is to please you in every aspect of your gift giving needs. They have the experience and expertise to help you buy or send the perfect flower arrangement for that very special time.

The Carey’s Flowers team is dedicated to bringing you the freshest and most unique arrangements for your needs. To our team, sending flowers is a special way to say that you love someone. They understand the needs you have and will make sure that when your gift or arrangement is received, that gift will mean something extra.
They try to make your flower buying experience as special as they can. You can pick up your arrangement soon after it has been finished, or, you can have that delivered. That is sure to be a special surprise.

Anytime is a good time to send this kind of gift. Certain times that you would want to send them would be a milestone anniversary, or a milestone birthday. Those that are in the hospital or who have been very sick for a long period of time enjoy receiving floral arrangements. It brightens their day and lifts their spirits.
For those who have just fallen in love or want to make that first good impression on a special someone, this is the best way to say that you are interested. This is the best way to say that you are special. For that first date, there is no better way make that first good impression than by bringing a bouquet or single rose with you. First impressions are the most important.

If you want to make up after a bad argument, sending flowers will surely soften the tone. It will make the one you have hurt feel more loved and want to be with you again Carey’s Flowers can help you with this.

Flowers and plants are great ways to tell the ones you love how special they are and what they mean to you. Carey’s Flowers can help you with any gift need that you have.
Don’t forget Thanksgiving is just one week away.

Multiple customer Question/Questions: (This set of questions is often asked and asked by many customers ~ so here is my best advice/suggestions)How should I prune my hydrangea? Is there something that could be added to my hydrangea that would turn the pink flowers blue? Is this a good idea?

Answer: (To the best of my ability) The hydrangea, macrophylla, is widely used in different zones of our state. It comes from Japan, is deciduous, has a symmetrically rounded growth habit, and grows 4-6 feet high and as wide. It does well as a landscape shrub or in a container. The blue and pink colors of the hydrangeas depend on the amount of aluminum in the soil that is absorbed by the roots.
The blue flowers appear on the hydrangea that has a soil pH of 5.5 or less.
In alkaline soil, it is difficult achieve a pH of 5.5 or less.

This normally means we have pink flowers since the aluminum is tied up in an insoluble form that cannot be absorb by the roots.

White cultivars are generally white and are not affected by the soil's pH.

Flowers grown for the florist trade have lime or superphosphate added to the soil mixture, which will tie up the absorption of aluminum resulting in pink to red flowers.


For blue flowers, they add aluminum sulfate (51.0%) to lower the pH in the soil. You can purchase this at your nursery. Depending on the size of the plant, add 1 tablespoon to cup per plant in late fall. Make 2 to 3 more applications in the early spring and again in late spring depending on your existing soil pH. This treatment must be done now and again next spring to change the flower color. A simple test kit for pH is available at your nursery.

The eastern side of the house is the best location in very warm areas or plant in partial shade, to avoid the hot afternoon sun. This plant likes a well-drained, porous soil. The flower buds are formed at the terminal of the stem (apical dominance) of last year's growth. If this flower bud is damaged, other flower buds down the stem will develop. If you cut the tips of the branches before the flowering season you will have more branches and flowers. This could cause too many flowers that are crowded together and will not fully develop on the shady side
The first 1-3 years the plant will not need to be pruned, except for cross or unsightly branches which should be cut to the ground. For the life of the plant, you must keep the center open to the light and air for a healthy bush. To cut flowers for the house or removing dying flowers, cut between the bottom of the flower head and above the first set of leaves. Cutting lower than the first set of leaves could stimulate unwanted growth from the lower buds at the leaf nodes.

Maintenance pruning can be done now by removing the dead, weak, diseased and broken stems on both the new and old wood by cutting to the ground as close as possible. Do not remove more than one-third of the old wood at a time. I like to leave some of the inside wood longer than some of the outside to keep the bush from becoming a "roundy-moundy." Keep the inside open to light. By pruning now, it should give the plant sufficient time for the new growth to harden before freezing weather.

The plant can be pruned just above a node, remembering that next year's flowers will grow on the new growth of the old stems. To get the biggest flower clusters, reduce the number of stems per plant; for numerous medium and smaller clusters, keep more stems.

If you have an overgrown or neglected shrub, I would cut it back to within 12 inches of the ground. Then cut back week or diseased stems followed by old wood stems near the center to the ground. If done now, you may still have a few blossoms next year and many more the following year. Continue the maintenance program next year.

Hydrangeas like soils high in organic matter. Compost worked into the soil before planting and adding peat moss will help to make the soil acid. Wood chips or other mulch material will help the plant throughout the year. A balanced fertilizer, such as 15.15.15 or a slow release fertilizer (Osmocote, Nutricote or Polygon) 4 ounces of 10.10.10 should be placed at the base of the plant and deep watered before the leaves appear. Here is a picture of my fall compost, it's free and you can find it everywhere in New England ;)

Again, white cultivars are not affected by soil pH. However, availability of aluminum may result in a pink or blue eye in the flower, depending on its presence or absence in the soil.

Hydrangeas do very nicely in containers as you can control the soil pH as well as the location of the pot for best blooms.