My landscape mostly lies in wait for snow. Last weekend, I cut back some iris leaves that had finally turned yellow, but that was it outside.
Time to turn toward holiday plants for enjoying ourselves or sharing with others in the dark days of December to early January. Be sure to consider your gift recipient’s situation if you give a holiday houseplant. Curious pets and small children will sample leaves that can cause gastric distress or be toxic. Learn more through this site of toxic and non-toxic plants.
I want to speak briefly about these common plants found in stores now. You can find their histories and historical significance online elsewhere. I hope to share some more personal insights.
About poinsettia: This plant can be a real challenge to keep from one year to the next, but only if you want to get those deep red or colorful leaves to return. My mother-in-law kept her poinsettia alive for years, and sometimes the leaf bracts came in red and sometimes not. She was happy to keep it alive and thrilled if the leaves turned red. Lesson? Manage your expectations and enjoy the victories.
Poinsettias thrive in a cool household temperature in the 50s and 60s; that makes sense as they are native to the highlands of Mexico. The flower is just the yellow center with no petals, and the red portions are leaf bracts around the flower. The red leaf growth is a response to low light levels. If you want the dramatic and traditional look of poinsettia, I would buy it from stores or growers and not try to time the lighting to affect the leaf color. But if you want a challenge, here is a link to more information.
About cyclamen: I have shared a photo of my stressed cyclamen before. These plants do best in high light, like back from a sunny southern window, if kept consistently moist. Closer to an eastern windowsill or western windowsill in winter would be fine if you monitor the soil moisture regularly. Cyclamen are available in many different shades of pink and red, as well as white, with ruffled or two-tone petals as well, making them a lovely winter gift! Cyclamen make a great gift for the recipient who can sit close to the plant and study the pretty leaf variations as well as the spiral flower buds.
The moisture levels seem easiest to achieve if the plants are watered every day, but the pot needs to drain completely. Standing water will rot the corm. Native to Greece, Syria, Southern Europe, and Asia Minor, the cyclamen like high humidity but cooler temperatures of 40 to 50 degrees at night. That all makes sense for a plant that garden centers offer in the winter.
About Christmas cacti: Don’t treat them as a cactus; give them more water than that. Grow Christmas cactus in bright light and let the soil surface dry out between waterings, but not the whole pot. When you water, bring the pot to the sink and use tepid water. Allow the water to drain out but check that the soil in the pot is moist before returning the plant to its bright location. I have one in a clay pot and one in a plastic pot. The different pot material affects the soil moisture. A clay pot will dry out faster. Christmas cactus prefer a room at 70 degrees—much warmer than cyclamen! Consider the recipient when giving a houseplant.
About cacti: These make great winter holiday gifts. Cacti prefer dry, sandy soil and a watering once a month. A dish garden of colorful cacti with a mix of shapes and textures makes a perfect gift for the forgetful recipient or the person who spends a month away during the coldest winter months. One cautionary note: All plants should be pulled back from bright locations if the homeowner plans to be away for more than a week. Plants left in cooler and darker locations will be less stressed.
A note about the biggest cut “flower” of the holidays, the Christmas tree: Many may be shocked that their fresh-cut evergreen tree dries up after two weeks indoors. If you compare that to a cut zinnia, rose, or dahlia, is it that surprising? Cut evergreens prefer a cool location, away from drafts and heat vents. Keep the water in the tree stand cool. Make a fresh cut around the tree trunk to help the cut “stem” draw water from the tree stand. Trees may drink up to a gallon of water a day for the first few days. Check the water level daily.
As the gardener of the house, have you made your gardener’s holiday wish list yet? A couple more suggestions beyond plants (yes, we always want plants): How about a gift certificate to a hardware store that offers tool sharpening? Or maybe you could suggest an appointment at the hardware repair shop to service your lawn mower (because it WILL be months before you need to mow again). Also available online, we acquired a nifty sharpening tool with multiple sharpening guides sized to sharpen pruners, loppers, scissors, axes mower blades, and knives all in one tool! I am not being paid for a testimonial; sharp tools make it much easier to be lazy in the garden. Now is the time to clean, oil, sharpen, and otherwise refurbish your tools for next year.
I call myself the Lazy Berkshire Gardener because I don’t want to work too hard in my gardens. I want to enjoy them. I find it easier to observe my landscape and let the compost happen, the water pool up, or daisies to self-sow. I look for ways to do the minimum task for the biggest impact. For example, mulching is better than spraying and much better than weeding all season. I look for beautiful, low-maintenance plants that thrive in or at least tolerate my garden conditions. Plus, I’m willing to live with the consequences if I miss something.
