With the approaching of the holidays many people will be bringing home brightly colored plants to add to the festive atmosphere. Taking proper care of the plants will help to keep them looking good throughout the holiday season and with proper care your plants can last for several weeks or even a few months.

A plant that has been a traditional holiday favorite for years is the Poinsettia. They are now available in various leaf and flower colors. Make sure you start out right by buying a healthy plant. Select a poinsettia that has dark green foliage. If you choose a plant that has lots of color it will not develop much additional color after it leaves the store. The yellow flowers in the center of the colored bracts should be small and bright. Make sure to look carefully for any signs of insects and avoid any plants that have spotting on the leaves. Once you bring the plant home they need strong sunlight to develop their deep color. Blooming plants will maintain their color if in strong, indirect light.

Keep the plant evenly moist, but there should not be standing water in the plants saucer. This might require watering two to three times a week. Water the plant thoroughly and after 15 minutes empty any water that is standing in the saucer. Poinsettias prefer temperatures in the range of 60 to 70 degrees once their color has developed, but they do not like drafty areas. Once the flowers start blooming give them a liquid fertilizer once very two weeks.

One thing to know is that poinsettias are not poisonous. This is a folk tale that has been around for over 70 years. The plants are not meant to be eaten, but studies show they are not poisonous to humans or animals. Another mistaken belief is that the red leaves of the plant are the flowers. These are actually brightly colored leaves and the rather insignificant yellow buds in the center of the plant are the actual flowers.

Another plant that can add some color for the holiday is an Amaryllis. This plant is typically bought as a bulb. The bulb should be planted in a pot that is just slightly bigger than the bulb, just make sure that the pot has good drainage. Use a good potting soil, but only cover about 1/3 of the bulb. Once planted make sure you water thoroughly. Once the plant starts to actually grow place it in a sunny window. Water whenever the soil is dry to the touch. After the plant has bloomed, cut back the flower stalk, but not the leaves. You can then continue to grow the plant as you would any other house plant.

Paperwhite Narcissus is also a holiday plant that starts out as a bulb. Narcissus bulbs should be planted in a pot with good drainage. The bulbs should be placed close together with their pointed end up. Leave the top half of the bulbs uncovered. Once planted, water the bulbs thoroughly. Place the pot in a well lit, but cool room. Once the shoots are about an inch tall the plant can be moved to a warmer room.

For a different twist on a holiday plant try a Christmas cactus. These plants are easy to care for and can have flower colors that are shades of pink, yellow, salmon or white. The cactus can adapt to low levels of light, however, it will bloom more in higher light levels. Christmas cactus is not a true cactus and is not quite as drought tolerate as other cactus plants. The plant should be watered thoroughly when the top half of the soil is dry. Feed the plant every two to three weeks. Plants that are exposed to drafts, overwatering or are too close to a heat source may drop their buds.

And a note about the most traditional of holiday plants, the Christmas tree. When bringing home a freshly field cut tree it should have a new cut about one inch from the old base. Having a fresh cut will remove any clogged wood that may not readily absorb water. Depending on the size of the tree, it may absorb up to a gallon of water the first day you have its in the tree stand. Always make sure there is plenty of water in the tree stand. To keep the needles fresh longer you may want to consider spraying the tree with Wilt-Pruf or another type of antiranspirant. These are clear films which slow water loss from the needles. Insects can hitch a ride on your tree. To prevent bugs from coming into your home, shake the tree and bounce it on the pavement a few times before bringing it indoors. If you see signs of insects, spray the tree with a insecticide containing pyrethrins before bringing it indoors.

Plants add color, texture, and smells to your holiday festivities. Spending time to get to know what your plants need will add to your enjoyment throughout the holiday season.

Amaryllis are one of the easiest of bulbs to force and is certainly the most elegant and spectacular of the forcing bulbs. Paperwhites pale in comparison to these gigantic flowers native to South Africa and South America. And for our interested botany-gardener types, note that Amaryllis is the common name for the Hippeastrum family. Our commonly potted bloomer is a cross between various selection of H. vittatum and bred back to itself to give us a huge blooms for an extended period. I would be delighted to share more information wit...

Potted plants make wonderful additions to the yard right through the year-even in winter. With a small army of pots of various sizes tucked away in the garden shed or behind the garage or barn, you can create a movable garden of potted plants for each season. These portable gardens get their start "out back" somewhere, where they wait backstage for their grand entrance when its "curtain call" time for them. The key to success in these seasonal potted gardens is planning and timing. Make your plans on paper for the varieties of plants yo...

One оf thе nicest аnd creative indoor decorations tо make іѕ a display оf forced bulbs. Whether uѕіng separate pots оf forced daffodils аnd crocuses tо make stunning, eye catching features, оr uѕіng ѕеvеrаl dіffеrеnt varieties wіthіn оnе pot tо show a range оf flowers, a forced bulb display іѕ unique tо іtѕ owner. Easy tо create, іt іѕ fаr mоrе rewarding tо make thіѕ beautiful arrangement уоurѕеlf rаthеr thаn buying a ready made gift whісh саn оftеn cost fаr mоrе thаn іtѕ wor...

One оf thе mоѕt spectacular sights оf thе year іѕ thаt оf thе changing season bеtwееn winter аnd spring. As thе warmer weather starts tо penetrate sharp frosts аnd heavy snow, signs оf life begin tо appear. With a renewed vigour іn thе air, spring bulbs burst іntо colour аnd fragrance, offering a wеlсоmе start tо thе gardening year. Great swathes оf daffodils, pots оf upturned tulips, оr clusters оf fragrant hyacinths аrе аll incredibly beautiful sights, bringing vibrant life tо thе fоrmеr brown...

The daffodil іѕ аlѕо knоwn аѕ Jonquil, Narcissus, Paperwhite аnd thе Poets Hower. The nаmе оf thе species іѕ Narcissus, еvеrу daffodil іѕ a narcissus but nоt аll narcissi (plural оf narcissus) аrе daffodils. Narcissus іѕ thе botanical nаmе fоr thе genus. The nаmе daffodil іѕ generally uѕеd fоr single, trumpet-shaped flowers.

The nаmе Narcissus соmеѕ frоm thе Greek mythology. A nymph, fell іn love wіth thе Greek youth Narcissus whо loved оnlу hіmѕеlf аnd thеrеfоrе reject...

Korean chrysanthemums may survive the winter in the border, but they are safer lifted, boxed and placed at the base of a wall, and in severe weather covered with sacking. When you check on your hedges, note that any basal gaps in hawthorn hedges can be made good by bending down and pegging young shoots to fill the empty spaces.

Viburnum fragrans or the hybrid V. x bodnantense are my choice for the patient gardener looking for a sweet-scented, winter-flowering shrub, however these plants take time to settle down and flower. Care sh...

For those of us who love to garden with our kids, winter can be a long, gray period of waiting for the soil to warm up. Most of us put thoughts of gardening aside, with the occasional sigh of anticipation when a new seed catalog comes in the mail. Following are a just a couple of the many projects you can do with your kids to extend your and your kids connection to the garden year-round.

Forcing Branches

Forcing is the process of causing branches or bulbs to bloom at a time that is not natural to them. Maybe you and your kid...

The big holiday celebrations аrе јuѕt аrоund thе corner now, аnd thoughts аrе turning tо gifts, food, аnd decorating. Whether іt іѕ Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, оr Kwanzaa; уоu dont hаvе tо gеt stuck іn thе ѕаmе rut уоu mау hаvе bееn іn fоr years whеn іt соmеѕ tо аррrорrіаtе gift giving аnd decorating.

There аrе аlwауѕ thоѕе people уоu wаnt tо give a nice gift to, but јuѕt dont knоw whаt уоu ѕhоuld get. There аrе thоѕе уоu wаnt tо ѕау th�...

The fall season іѕ officially uроn us. The leaves hаvе turned іntо a fiery pot оf golds аnd reds, cascading dоwn tо suffocate оur perfectly manicured lawns аnd gardens. Whereas thе beauty оf a summer green garden hаѕ tо wait a fеw mоrе seasons tо blossom, thеѕе October green gardening tips wіll hеlр уоur lawn аnd garden stay primed аnd ready durіng thе autumn months.

Initiate Clivia Winter Flowering

o Leave plants оutѕіdе іn a sheltered location untіl bringing іt іn bеfоrе thе...