A Few Other Fan Favorites Before the Holidays are (officially) Over

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with family and loved ones. I was incredibly lucky to see my family over the Christmas weekend; it's been a long while since I've been West. 

Just a few more I wanted to share before the holidays are officially over. This will be the last of the "holiday series"; I hope you've enjoyed, at minimum, the pictures and perhaps, maybe, learned a thing or two (although, the more I learn, I realize I know nothing.)

Anthuriums
I'm in love with Anthuriums. I think they are so bright and distinct from any other flower during the holidays. Although usually bright red, they come in a variety of shades of red, including pink, purple, even orange. The flowers (as seen below) are almost waxy. You can find a potted, ready for the indoors, anthuium at just about any floral shop, grocery store, or specialty store. They are low maintenance and their blossoms last for several weeks before they need to be pinched and discarded. They can grow outdoors in mild climates and in shady spots; however, I write this from Iowa, where it is approximately 3 degrees WITHOUT the wind chill factor (below 12 with). No mild weather from my vantage point. 

Something I didn't know until now...Anthurium means, in Greek, tail flower; most likely because its stem can grow to approximately 15-20 inches. According to the Flower Expert, the bigger the spathe, the longer the stem...in picture form...

Photo source: Encyclopedia of Science

Anyway, a little too technical, so below are the pretty pictures I took while volunteering at The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. 

NOTE: The biggest downside to Anthuriums is that every part of the plant is poisonous, so they must be kept away from children and pets. 

Cyclamen

Now, bare with me...this is what I think of when I see Cyclamen...gorgeous ladies riding in a convertible, cruising along a beach on some windy highway, with their hair flapping in the wind. This is what cyclamen remind me of...look close...can you see it?

You can faintly see yellowing below the bright green leaves...these yellow leaves can be pulled out soon and discarded.

Low maintenance but generally* short-lived are cyclamen, enjoy the indoors, do not like cold climates. If you happen to purchase the root ball, or tuber, they like to be planted slightly above the soil. When watered, you water  from the bottom, not the top. Also, it leaves tend to yellow from the bottom, so, to check, you lift the green foliage and you will, inevitably, find yellowed leaves. Gently and simple pull the leaves out, so as not to harm the healthy parts of the plant. Eventually the blossom will fade as well, tug on the flower, and it, and its stem, should come out. 

Above, I have an asterisk by generally...there are some green thumbs who can bring cyclamens out of its dormant phase during the fall (after a long summer's nap); however, I have yet to be successful (most likely because I've moved on and forgot where I stored it). However, if you want to try it, About Home Gardening Tips provides advice for drying, storing, then "re-awakening" your tuber. 

Poinsettias

Because these beauties are so well known, I'll try to find what is not known...

• The most head-scratching of the poinsettias is that they do not like the cold (including cold windows or chilly drafts); yet, they typically appear during the winter.
• True or False...Poinsettias are toxic. False, maybe...laboratory studies have shown that the leaves, stems, bracts, and flowers are not toxic to people or pets. However, I do not recommend eating them and just as a precaution, I wouldn't let your children or pets eat them either. There is baby food and pet food for that.
• When picking out poinsettias...
• Look for a healthy, undamaged plant. Leaves should even be present on the stem and at the base of the plant.
• Avoid plants where the  flowers are shedding pollen or falling off. 
• Look for insects, which can linger long after the plant is gone.

Once home, keep them in a well-lit location (but not too bright) and you water when it fails the sponge test (that's what I call it anyway; see below for details). Water from the bottom, rather than dripping water on top of the flowers (or brachs).  

[SPONGE TEST: Take a sponge and saturate it with water; then, wring it out. Notice that the sponge is still wet but not dripping? This is how you want the soil to feel on your thumb (the wetness of a wrung-out sponge).]

There is a great article regarding Poinsettias here for additional information.

Here are my pictures from the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.

Thank you for reading.