Saturday, December 21st, was the Winter Solstice—the shortest day of the year; the first official day of Winter; Yule. The days, which have been getting shorter and shorter each day since the Summer Solstice, now will be getting longer by a minute or two each day. Many cultures around the world have celebrated the Winter … Read more
In the past couple of weeks, I’ve had numerous people ask me how to care for the holiday plants they either received or bought for Christmas, so here is a quick guide. Poinsettias Take them out of foil they came in or poke holes in the foil so they can drain well. Keep them in … Read more
This coming Wednesday, December 12th, is National Poinsettia Day. So here are four interesting facts about everyone’s favorite holiday flower. Poinsettia, botanically Euphorbia Pulcherrima, is named for Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S minister to Mexico. He was an avid amateur botanist who, in the 1820s, sent home to South Carolina cuttings of a … Read more
One of my favorite flowers this time of year is the Paperwhite Narcissus, the fast and easy indoor bloomer. Narcissus papyraceus—paperwhites—are native to the Mediterranean from Greece to Morocco. They are daffodil relatives. They are not winter hardy here in Virginia, however, they will bloom easily indoors in a sunny window. Paperwhite bulbs are readily … Read more
One of the plants you’ll see almost everywhere this time of year is Christmas/Thanksgiving/Holiday cactus. So here is what you need to know about these beautiful seasonal bloomers. Some Interesting Facts Holiday cacti are a small genus of plants called Schlumbergera. They are native to a small area in the coastal mountains of south-eastern Brazil … Read more
It’s no secret I’m the neighborhood “cat lady.” I didn’t start out to be the neighborhood cat lady, you understand, but it happens. You start out feeding one stray—and they bring friends. Next thing you know, they’re yours. I’ve had cats all my life—and have been a gardener almost the same length of time. Why … Read more
To repot or not repot? Unless you broke the pot bringing your plant in, don’t repot right now. Even indoor plants are responding to the less intense light levels and shorter days this time of year. While they aren’t dormant, they are not growing very fast. Save repotting for late winter/early spring (February/March). Remember, when … Read more
I’ve pulled up all my spent summer veggies—the tomatoes that didn’t have one more bud left on them, the squash that looked, well, squashed and the last crop of bush beans that just didn’t have any bean left. I’ve already planted some fall vegetables—I have some fat little kale plants, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli in … Read more
October is Bat Appreciation Month. Bats have gotten a bad rap over the years from writers of horror fiction, but they are actually good guys. They are not only pollinators but an outstanding source of pest control. Here are some cool facts about these fellow mammals. Bats are the only mammals that fly. There are … Read more
This is the time of year to get my all-time favorite flowers–Amaryllis. Well, actually, what we call ‘amaryllis’ are really ‘hippeastrum’–members of the amaryllis family. The plants that are technically ‘amaryllis’ are the Amaryllis Belladonna and relatives, however, hippeastrum has been called ‘amaryllis’ for so long, that we’ll never be able to get people to … Read more
