When you think of Christmas plants, the image that pops up in mind is that of a shrub growing in the cold wilderness. Alone, and covered in snow. The reality though is that many of the popular Christmas flowers are tropical plants, and this means that they need to be cared for and looked after just like any other summer flower. You cannot leave these plants unattended in a cold draught and expect them to live and burst forth in spectacular colours because they will most probably just die.
The best way to care for Christmas plants is to think of them as tender plants and look after them accordingly. Below is a list of four popular plants for the merrymaking season, and easy tips for caring for them through the rest of the year:
Poinsettia
These pointy bright red colour flowers (which are actually leaves on the plants) are perhaps the most recognizable Christmas fauna. Poinsettias are short-day flowers and grow well in semi-cool, humid locations that have bright but indirect sunlight. You can find natural poinsettias in colours like white, pink, and red, but nowadays sellers sometimes even grow them with speckled leaves and mixed colours.
Amaryllis
Amaryllis is flower that makes you work hard to grow them, but once you get the finicky plants to bloom, the beautiful bell-shaped blossoms are a treat to the eyes. The flowers bloom in November and once the season is over, they droop and die. But you can take care of the stalk and replenish them so that the plant can begin its re-flowering process. You also need to keep the plant away from direct sunlight and gradually shift it to outdoors while being careful to prune browned and dead leaves. When it is time for the Amaryllis to flower again, you can bring it back indoors three months prior to flowering.
Christmas Cactus
This plant actually blooms closer to Thanksgiving, but the flowers hang like small ornaments at the end of the stems thus giving the plant its moniker. This plant is made for the indoors and grows well in bright but indirect sunlit conditions. During spring and summer, it is important to keep the plant well hydrated and use a mild fertilizer to ensure growth. Once the plant sheds all its flowers, you need to start cutting back on the moisture and sunlight to allow the dormancy cycle to complete.
Rosemary
Rosemary, they say, is for remembrance. In some nativity stories, rosemary shrubs make an appearance as a place for the infant Jesus’ clothes to be dried. Today the plant is making a comeback in gardening stores and is being sold as a holiday plant when, in fact, it is a sunlight-loving plant that needs to be grown in warm temperatures. Grow these plants in well-drained sandy soil with terracotta pots for better drainage. The flowers grow through spring and summer and the pine-like fragrance they add to your home is an added bonus.
So, which of these flowers would you be adding to your home decor today?
