Here we are again at Christmas giving time.
To me it is a real problem – I decided many years ago not to take the easy way out and give a pot and a plant and, each year, I regret this vow.
This week, I went Christmas shopping.
One business wasn’t open, without even a sign on the door. Next stop was the jewellers, where I wanted to buy matching gifts – no luck.
In the end I gave in and bought sought of the same and, lastly, going online for my grandson, I bombed out big time.
Okay, you are thinking, what would I suggest if I overlooked my phobia about giving plants?
The best Christmas gift is a bright red poinsettia – the care of these lovely plants is fairly minimal. The secret to maintaining poinsettias’ colourful bracts over an extended period is careful watering.
When watering, do so under the leaves and not on the crown as a debilitating fungal disease can result from wetting the bracts (which aren’t really flowers).
If you do notice the newer bracts shrivelling, spray with a fungicide.
Poinsettias are actually part of the Euphorbia family, which can also contain spiky cactus.
It is a large genus, with close to 2000 species, but our Christmas poinsettias can be planted in the garden in a frost-free climate where, under normal growing conditions, it will flower during winter. Potted plants are artificially cultivated for our Christmas season but, next year, will revert to winter flowering.
Gift vouchers are an ideal gift for garden lovers – I have customers who give their dad vouchers on each special occasion, which satisfies his garden passion all year round.
The worst Christmas gift is a plant without a pot as this causes expense for the receiver.
Obviously, something in flower for Christmas is ideal, for example, a NSW Christmas Bush, which flowers at this time each year.
This week
- Prune side shoots off tomatoes – keep an eye out for fruit fly, hang traps and sticky tapes.
- Plant dahlia tubers and gladiolus corms, or punnets of dahlias.
- Watering obviously is a problem – don’t worry about the lawn, it will soon pick up after rain. Concentrate on plants that are desperate for water.
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