Wazzup Pilipinas!
The weather is cold, and we can hear the lovely music of our beloved holiday icon, Jose Marie Chan, partnered with a couple of holiday-themed memes. These are the telltale signs that the Philippines are now in the middle of preparing for the holidays. Everyone is getting their Christmas decorations out. And of course, who can forget about the seasonal beauty that is the poinsettia?
Poinsettia: The Christmas Star
The poinsettia is known for its bright red
and green colors, which makes it the best plant to decorate with during the
holidays. Though it is a flowering plant, don’t mistake its colorful leaves for
petals. Its flowers are the yellow parts of the plant. It’s very tiny and takes
on a berry-like appearance.
This lovely houseplant is a native to
Mexico. It is also where the flower’s association with Christmas is first
known.
The story starts with a poor child that didn’t
have any means to buy a grand gift to the Christ Child. She was upset that her
family did not have anything prepared for Him. However, she quickly learned
that any gift is beautiful as it is given. So she gathered an armful of green
weeds and offers it as a gift. A miracle had happened, and all the green weeds
had transformed into what is known as the poinsettia today.
Decoration Ideas
Poinsettia is the definite go-to plant when
you want to decorate your home with the holidays. Here are a few design ideas
that you can do with your poinsettia plants:
Check Out Varying Types of Poinsettia
Classic red poinsettias will always be a
top seller in the market. However, if you’re thinking about upping your game with
your decorating, try to explore different poinsettia in the market. Poinsettias
can come in different shades of red, white, pink, and coral colors.
Feel free to mix and match color
combinations and variegation. It will all depend on your taste and style. A
classic combination is white poinsettias with red as accents. For something a
little more fun and youthful, try combining an ice punch poinsettia with a
beautiful pink poinsettia.
A Christmas Tree of Poinsettia
If you happen to walk around public areas,
you might find one of these beautiful poinsettia displays arranged like a tree.
If you’d like to change up your Christmas decorations this year, why not
re-create a small one in your very own home?
You can try this by getting tree-shaped
shelvings. Or if you'd like something a little smaller, you can try this will
small 3 to 4 ladder type shelves.
Poinsettia By The Window Sill
These plants love a lot of bright light so
putting them on the windowsill is one of the best ways to decorate with
poinsettias. When placing your plants in your window, try to keep in mind the
rule of odds. Place around three or five poinsettias right by your windowsill.
Add a few green garlands and decorate to your heart’s content.
If you would prefer, you can invest in a
rectangular planter and plant a few poinsettias there. For an added effect,
combine different variegations for added variety to your arrangement. Also,
make sure that no part of the plant is touching a cold windowpane. That may
lead to injury on the plant.
Hanging Poinsettias
Do you have a flair for the dramatic? Try
planting your poinsettias in hanging baskets and put them in the empty corner
of your home. This is sure to liven up those dead spaces and fill it with
holiday cheer. It's also a great way to save on floor space and make the room
look spacious. To give it a bit of pizazz, use a combination of white and red
poinsettias.
Use the Best Pots
A plant's container is just as important as
the plant itself. Play around with your pots and see what works best for your
poinsettia. You can choose from a range of beautiful white ceramics or
something as down to earth as a decorative basket pot. Choose something that
would look best for your chosen theme this holiday season.
A gold-colored pot is perfect for a warmer
color scheme. Pair this with a classic red poinsettia. If you want to go for a
cooler tone, go with a silver-colored pot paired with white poinsettias.
Poinsettia Care Tips
Now, even though they’re considered
decorative plants, these flowering plants can be a bit tricky when it comes to
caring for it. If you want them to survive all through and beyond the holidays,
make sure to take note of these tips:
Give It Enough Light
Poinsettias enjoy being under the sun! Make
sure to keep them near a window where there's a lot of light. According to
Philstar Global, placing the plant under low light will result in the shedding
of lower leaves. If there’s not enough light coming through your home, you can
make up for it with soft grow lights.
Careful with The Watering
Now poinsettias are considered sub-tropical
plants. This means that they prefer to keep their soil moist and not wet. What
you want to do is to water it runs out the drainage hole. Allow the pot to
drain out its excess water. To help maintain its moisture, you might want to
pot your poinsettias in non-porous containers like fiberglass pots. I recommend
these sorts of planters because they're known to be durable and lightweight.
Do NOT feed a poinsettia in bloom as it may
do some damage to its roots. If your poinsettia was recently repotted or newly
bought, the soil will have enough nutrients to sustain them through Christmas.
Temperature Management is Key
Avoid placing your poinsettias in an
air-conditioned area. You’ll want to maintain the temperature at 65 to 70
degrees Fahrenheit during the day. This is crucial for them to maintain their
blooming.
Caution: Poinsettia’s Toxicity
Contrary to popular belief, no known
evidence points to poinsettias being poisonous. However, according to WebMD,
that doesn't mean that they're harmless. If a child eats enough poinsettia
leaves, he might become nauseated and may vomit.
It's not lethal enough to kill your child or your pet. It's always better to keep these beauties out of reach to avoid any accidents. Teach your kids and train your pets to stay away from the plant.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
