Re-Blooming Poinsettias

One of last year’s poinsettias is now spending its days in the basement. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Re-blooming Poinsettias

If you’re like me, you read about how to get poinsettias to re-bloom after Christmas, when you are deciding whether to try to keep the plants going or toss them in the composter. If the plant makes it to another Christmas, you look at the still green plant and wonder why it hasn’t turned color.

Well, the good news is its now September. This is when you need to tweak the plants to encourage their leaves to change color for the holidays.

The trick is to deny the plants light. To coax a poinsettia plant to bloom again, we are repeating the poinsettia life cycle. The color is actually the leaves changing.

This poinsettia plant still has a couple of red leaves from last year.

This little poinsettia still has a couple of red leaves from last year. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

These lovely plants are originally from southern Mexico. I remember growing up around huge poinsettia trees so in the right conditions, they can grow rather large.

In the US, however, they are sold as holiday decorations with little regard to keeping them going after the holidays.

Now earlier this spring, I should have cut them back but I didn’t. I wasn’t sure whether they would even make it through summer so I left them in their original pots in a shady spot in front of my house. Some broke off so I inadvertently did end up pinching some of the branches back.

Now that it is September, it’s time to bring them inside. They are now in a room in the basement, where I will end up forgetting to water them, which is a good thing for once. They will also have bright light during the day with air conditioning keeping the temperature around 70F and total darkness at night with cooler temperatures around 60F.

The leaves should start showing color within 6-8 weeks.

Once color starts to show, they can be brought into regular room lighting and get more water.

Ok, let’s see how well this works!

Charlotte

Caring for Gift Flowers

These gift roses came in pots, another way to give roses. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Caring for Gift Flowers

If you received gift flowers such as cut roses recently, there are several things you can do to keep them beautiful:

If they came in a vase, put them where you can enjoy them but keep them away from heat vents and sun. Don't place them on top of TVs or near electronic devices that get warm, the heat will shorten the lifespan of your beautiful flowers.

If they were in a box, get a vase and make sure to wash it with hot water and dishwashing detergent, rinse and dry, then fill vase 3/4 full with room temperature water. Add a penny to water to help keep bacteria from growing. I have also used half an aspirin. Most florists also provide floral flood packets. Don't save the packets, use them!

Measure the first stem against the vase you want to put them in and make them taller since you may be cutting them down several times. Cut the bottom of the stems under room temperature water with sharp pruners or a knife, making a 45-degree angle cut so the stem can take up water. The running water helps the stem take up the water; that helps keep the rose stay saturated.

Also remove all leaves that will be submerged in water. 

Add the florist food packet, mix, then add the remaining trimmed roses.

Whether already in a vase or you add the flower to a vase, plan on cleaning the vase, replacing the water with fresh, room-temperate water and making fresh stem cuts every 2 days.

Peruvian lilies are one, if not the longest lasting, cut flowers currently available. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

If you received carnations, mums and Peruvian lilies, these flowers are longer lasting but also would appreciate fresh water every 2-3 days. Also trim the stems so water can get absorbed and keep the flowers in bloom.

A bouquet of Peruvian lilies I bought around Christmas lasted 9 weeks with a little extra time cutting off the stems and placing them in clean water every few days.

If your gift was a plant, remove the decorative paper immediately and place a tray under the pot to catch water. Check the soil to determine whether it is wet or not. If it is dry, give it room temperature water until the soil is saturated again but not wet.

Read the enclosed care instructions, they will tell you what kind of light conditions your plant needs. Then place the plant in appropriate lighting conditions. Most orchids, for example, like indirect light similar to African violets and English primroses.

Spring bulb gardens prefer full sunlight so the sprouting leaves can collect energy in the bulbs. Once bulb gardens finish blooming, keep watering and allow the leaves to turn yellow. The bulbs can then be planted in your garden for re-blooming after the bulbs have recharged their bulbs.

On a personal note, keep the flowers where you spend the most of your time so you can enjoy them. Even though they may appear beautiful one day, room conditions may change and speed up their fading process so don't take them for granted.

And there is nothing wrong with buying yourself a flower bouquet to brighten a room so go ahead, splurge and enjoy!

Charlotte

Red Roses Gift Flowers

A little bouquet of red roses on its way to a friend's business.

Red Roses Gift Flowers

We often think of gift flower bouquets as elaborate collections of flowers, of big globs of one flower, but they don't have to be. A gift bouquet can be as simple as one flower, or in this case, three little flowers in a simple vase.

But this isn't just any red rose.

I picked the hybrid tea rose with a wonderful scent early morning, when the rose was still in bud form so that it would open through the rest of the day and last longer. I added two miniature roses in the same color for a touch of whimsy. The Mr. Lincoln hybrid tea rose would have been lovely all by itself but I liked adding the little miniature roses for fun.

Pairing miniature roses with a hybrid tea rose is a simple way to make a pretty bouquet.

Miniature roses are shrub roses that often bloom more frequently than hybrid tea roses, at least in my garden, so I like having a variety of miniature rose colors growing throughout the season. I give them compost, banana peels and coffee grounds to keep them well fed, and regularly mulch them, so they get similar care to my regular roses.

Although miniature roses are easier to grow, I also grow hybrid tea roses, especially Mr. Lincoln roses. Besides their lovely red color, I love their scent, which can envelop a room with just one flower.

Mr. Lincoln hybrid tea rose has a wonderful scent and invites a sniff just because.

I also keep little glass flower vases around in a garage cabinet just for these occasions, picking them up as I see them at garage sales.

The red roses gift flowers bouquet was appreciated, even more when my friend got a whiff of the rose. She said she only plants the repeat-blooming KnockOut roses, but she may be giving the old time hybrid tea roses a second look now. My friend said she thought I had sprayed the red rose with a perfume. I assured her this was the natural scent.

When I left, she was still smelling that red rose!

Charlotte

How to Gift Wrap Daffodils

Darker vases in blue and black nicely contrast against traditional yellow and white daffodils.

Daffodils are March's gift flowers, captured sunshine to chase away winter gloom and bring on spring garden dreams. 

How to Gift Wrap Daffodils for Gift Giving

To easily gift wrap your gift of flowers, have fun shopping for an interesting vase. Most home decor stores have a selection, as do antique and thrift shops. When in a rush, don't overlook your local grocery store floral department. If you don't see any vases, ask; they will usually share what they have in stock.

When looking for a gift vase, look for something on the small size from 4-6 inches tall and 2 inches wide.

Also think about the person who is going to get the flowers. Select a vase that represents their spirit and joy. Anything in a blue range works well with yellow, as does white and black.

Flower Vases Should Be Repeatedly Used

In my world, flower vases are repeatedly used. A friend of mine who regularly gets flowers from my garden periodically cleans out her flower vase collection and gives them back to me for re-use.

I also collect vases later in the year at yard sales and keep a stash for easy use when I have flowers to share.

Don't Wait For A Flower Vase

If you don't have a fancy vase, don't hesitate to wrap them in paper towels or a clean, recycled glass jar. Most people have a vase they can use once they get the flowers so make someone's day with a nice bouquet.

A bouquet of daffodils from my garden on its way to a friend's house with other goodies.

Wouldn't you enjoy getting a bouquet of fresh flowers just because?

Charlotte