Decorating with Poinsettias

I've always had a lot of plants in my home.

I love plants and I think they make a home more "homey".

However....

 Poinsettias were never my favorite.

As a matter of fact , I didn't like them at all !

I was a florist in a previous life.

A florist in IOWA!

Poinsettias are VERY sensitive to cold.

Poinsettia Tip # 1- if the temperature is below 50 degrees when you buy your poinsettia,

whether you get it from the florist or the store, make sure it is COMPLETELY covered.

They are native to Central America , Mexico to be exact.

You know how easy it is to deliver poinsettias at Christmas time ?

NOT!

Then of course you always had the customers that would worry about poisoning their pets !

GEEZ.....

Simply not true.

I think they would have to eat like 3 dozen  just to get a tummy ache.

But I heard it every year.

Anyway....

I'm not a florist anymore.

Thank God.

So now I can enjoy Poinsettias with the rest of the world !

They come in so many different colors and varieties now.

Red, white , pink and all mixtures in between.

I'm kind of a red fan , so that's what I used.

And guess where I put that one ?

In my BATHROOM !

Only me right?

I have a old wishbone dresser in my bathroom.

It's been painted white and was perfect for this spot, plus fixed the problem of lack of storage.

A few chairs from my mini chair collection.

an enamel pan of red Shiney Brites and a "kitschy" Santa

accompany my red poinsettia which I placed in an old Christmas tin.

Poinsettia tip #2 -  always remove your poinsettias from the plastic/ foil sleeve they come in.

They need to be able to drain.

Poinsettia tip #3 - NEVER let you poinsettia sit in water for longer that 30 minutes.

They don't like to dry out , but they don't like to sit in water either.

Kitchy santa from the thrift store.

Love him !

My tweaked dresser vignette.

I added a table runner and a couple of my bottle brush trees.

Well... I decorated the bathroom with a poinsettia so why not the kitchen ?

Poinsettia Tip #4 - Keep away from heat sources ( fireplaces, heat runs,stoves)

but also keep them away from drafts ( doors , windows ).

This time I used a white one in an old aluminum colander.

I added a little lime green bling to it.

I also love cardboard houses.

A silver tray, faux snow and green glass Christmas balls complete this vignette.

Poinsettia Tip #5 - when picking out a plant , choose one with tight , tiny yellow flowers in the center.

That's right, the flowers.

The colorful leaves that most people think of as the flowers are not actually the flowers.

If the flowers are open and you see the powdery pollen, the plant is past it's prime.

Poinsettia Tip #6 -  don't pick a plant with wilty or yellow leaves, that's a pretty good sign the plant hasn't been watered properly and may not last as long.

So there you go.

If you like poinsettias , use them.

They won't harm human or beast.

 AND they say " Christmas " like no other house plant.

Here is a great link to more Poinsettia knowledge,

http://www.gardeninggonewild.com/

I am also linking this post to ~

http://thegreenhousediaries.blogspot.com/2011/11/great-poinsettia-decorating-challenge.html

http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/2011/12/walking-in-wonderland-newbie-party.html

http://youaretalkingtoomuch.blogspot.com/2011/12/meet-me-monday-15.html

http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/2011/12/amaze-me-monday-53.html

http://www.atthepicketfence.com/2011/12/blogger-block-partychristmas-in-kitchen.html

http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/