Christmas Poinsettia

Christmas is just a few weeks away, it is time to decorate your home with the beautiful star shaped flower, Poinsettia. Are you aware that December 12 is known as the Christmas Poinsettia Day? Here is your chance to wish your loved ones on this day and order colorful poinsettias from these online retailers:

http://www.onlinediscountmart.com/32399.html

http://www.brantflorist.com/Christmas4.aspx

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000GTE0ZQ

Also called the Mexican flame leaf, Christmas star, lobster flower or Christmas star, this flower was brought to the United States from Mexico by Dr. Joel Roberts and December 12 is celebrated the National Poinsettia Day in honor of this man. A Mexican legend claims that poinsettias came to be associated with Christmas when a child, who could not afford a gift to offer to Christ on Christmas Eve, picked some weeds from the side of a road. As soon as he brought them into the church, this humble gift given in love bloomed into the red and green Poinsettia.

Selecting a poinsettia
Look for plants with fully mature, thoroughly colored bracts. Select plants with an abundance of dark, rich green foliage all the way down the stem. The leaves and bracts should not be drooping. Look for plants that are full and attractive from all sides.

Keep your poinsettia beautiful
To help your poinsettia thrive in your home during the holiday season, follow these tips:
Light: Set your poinsettia in a bright location so that it receives at least 6 hours of bright, indirect sunlight each day.
Temperature: Excess heat will cause the leaves to yellow and fall off. The daytime temperature should not exceed 70ºF.
Water and Fertilizer: Poinsettias require moderately moist soil. Water them thoroughly when the soil surface feels dry to the touch.
With the poinsettia staying beautiful for months and well into the spring, you might consider making it a showpiece/centerpiece, to compliment your home or office decor.

Materials for Christmas Poinsettia Centerpiece
Low-growing poinsettias or artificial plants, floral foam or Styrofoam, decorative bowl, cache pot, or soup tureen greenery.

Follow these simple steps to make your poinsettia centerpiece:
If you're going to use cut flower stems, place a brick of floral foam or Styrofoam into the container and secure it in place. Place small, low poinsettia plants or artificial stems into your bowl, soup tureen, or cache pot. Add trailing greenery around the base of the plants. Place the container with plants in the center of your table.