Houseplants Help Brighten The Holidays

If your household is anything like ours, it’s suffering from a wonderful case of the dishevelments. Boxes of holiday decorations litter the living room floor. Furniture has been crowded together to make room for the tree and nativity scene. Candles, snowmen, sleighs and other holiday treasures take the place of everyday knickknacks. It’s all so exciting and fun.

Although there are plenty of decorations for every nook and cranny, once everything is in its place there still seems to be room for more. That’s where holiday houseplants come into play. Not only can they brighten a windowsill or a doorstep, but they also create stunning backdrops for other decorations and displays.

First on the list, of course, is the traditional poinsettia. Whether used as a single specimen or in a grouping, nothing beats their intense show.

In the last 10 years, we’ve seen new life bred into poinsettias. They’re no longer just red. There are many shades of red and pink, or red and pink mixed, or red with splashes of white or colored bracts in pure white, cream or yellow. Not only are they more colorful, but the colored bracts may last well into the next summer.

One type of poinsettia that I find irresistible is the Winter Rose. The curled red bracts nestled atop one another resemble a multi-petaled red rose. This plant is gorgeous. If you’ve never seen the Winter Rose, stop by the Manito Park Gaiser Conservatory, or look for them at your favorite florist. I do know that Liberty Park Florist carries them.

Caring for poinsettias is relatively easy. They like plenty of sunlight, although they will hold their color in dull light, and they need to be kept moist. How we water and how much we water are what usually lead to the demise of poinsettias.

Water poinsettias thoroughly with warm water when the soil is dry to the touch, but don’t allow the plant to wilt. If the pot is encased in a cellophane sleeve, either remove the sleeve before watering or punch a nickel-size hole through the bottom of the wrap. Never allow the plant to sit in water.

As a reminder: Poinsettias are not poisonous, as once thought.

However, they can cause mild nausea and skin irritations, so they’re still best kept out of reach of little “vegetarians,” furry and otherwise.

Poinsettias aren’t the only holiday plants that have a flamboyant attitude. We can dress up the kitchen table with a red pepper plant. The red peppers and green foliage create an instant decoration. The only drawback is that the peppers cannot be eaten. Since they’ve been grown for ornamental use, many of them have been treated with growth inhibitors or pesticides. And, because these pepper are very hot, they must be kept out of reach of little children and pets.

Colorful cyclamen are also on the holiday plant list. Although this plant is very easy to keep growing year after year, it all too often finds itself atop the compost heap. This usually happens because the plant completely dies back to the soil once it stops blooming. I can see why someone could easily mistake this plant for dead. Houseplants that die to the ground usually are dead, but not this one. It’s simply resting. When it’s in this state, tuck it away in a dark room for a month or so, then bring it back into the light, water it and voila - a new plant.

Try never to water the crown of the cyclamen. Always water with warm water (but never soft water), near the edge of the pot.

Amaryllis also has to be near the top of the holiday plant list. There’s nothing to the care of this plant. Plant it, water it, give it average light, stand back and watch it grow. We’ll discuss after-Christmas care after Christmas.

The Christmas holidays are a joyous time to be shared with others. There are many who are unable to decorate their homes or apartments for the season. A gift of a single plant could brighten not only a room, but a heart.

Mark your calendar

The Friends of Manito and the Spokane Park and Recreation Department will host their annual Holiday Open House this weekend at the Manito Park Gaiser Conservatory. Thousands of miniature lights transform the greenhouses into a world of serene beauty and magic.

The Friends will provide refreshments, live music, a gift cart and activities for children, including a visit from Santa. The hours of the open house are from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and the event is free. Though the light display will run through Dec. 17, the open house activities are only this weekend.

Just a reminder that if you want to join the excursion to the Pacific Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle in February, the deadline to sign up is approaching.

Here’s the deal: The Friends of Manito have put together a package which includes round-trip air fare from Spokane, two night’s lodging at Seattle’s Paramount Hotel, airport transfers and two days of unlimited entry to the big garden show. The show runs Feb. 7 through 11 but the tour dates are Feb. 7 through 9. A deposit of $150 is required by Dec. 15 to reserve a spot on the tour. Please call I.T. Travel & Cruises (ask for Diane, Dawn or Charity), at (509) 326-9501 for more information and for tour prices.