Will the real Poinsettia please stand up.

Thank you Bilbobaggins that is a lovely story which I had not heard before. I will enjoy telling it to my grandchildren.

I think it was Percy Thrower who once said " They will all be dead by the end of January." Must be because central heating goes off in the night.

A wonderful display,Scotsgran..I didn't realise there were so many variations of colour..I have only ever had one,which failed miserably..bought for me one Christmas,by myOH,as a gift from my daughter when she was about five.. They kept it in a freezing garage overnight,so I wouldn't see it till Christmas morning !..
no need to tell you the outcome :o)

The glasshouse looks incredible!

I admit to preferring the red ones.....the dwarf ones.....for christmas but the effect with the white is stunning and the coloured ones would be lovely at other times of the year
Thanks Scotsgran

Maybe houses were more draughty in his day Diane, CH will keep a room well within their comfort zone even during the night. It is draughts or sudden changes which are more likely to upset them, like the one Bloomers well intentioned OH killed off. Bringing it from a shop to a cold garage is not to be recommended. I usually manage to kill mine, a confession many on the walk also owned up to. Over rather than underwatering is another prime killer.

Pam I can't say the white and coloured ones ever interested me but I did like the Pink Cadillac and the white Candlelight.

I usually put mine in the room where the orchids are.....they all seem to thrive on an even temperature.......and neglect. :0))

You have summed them up beautifully Pamg. I have just noticed mine are in need of a drink. I'm 5* when it comes to neglect of house plants. I am feeling the weight of responsibility this time so must try harder.

What a wonderful sight Sgran, I love these and I bought one in November and its doing fine, which is good for me - if my garden plants lasted as long as my indoor plants well I wouldn`t have a garden.lol.

I shall get one soon, if I can get through Christmas without any green leaves falling off I feel its a great achievement. Didnt realise there were so many, thought it was just red, pink and white.

Snap Stroller. In fact if we did a survey on how many of us kill poinsetta within the first month or two of buying one the 'yeses' would be in the majority by a huge margin.
Lizziebee don't worry about losing the green leaves this happens in the wild too.

Lovely blog Scot. what a beautiful site they all must have been, I really like the 'merry white', it is so unusual, but the traditional ones are a must this time of year.

Lovely blog,I assume the last picture is a new variety.Not sure that I like it as much as the traditional shape Bracts.
As for keeping them I have been told its best to buy ones raised in the UK,which makes sense not only making work for people here but not knowing its origin it may well have been subjected to varying tempetures on its way to us.
I have one most years and they live in the kitchen,last year one was purchased end of November 2011 and stayed in good condition for four months it was by then making new leaves (not Bracts )that is much less likely,it was then moved into my den computer room where it has stayed ever since and still looks remarkably fresh,also a couple of last years bracts are still to be seen low down on the plant so all above is new growth.
Have just taken a couple of pictures and will post them soon.

Your pictures are lovely Brian. Imagine keeping the bracts on all that time. I cr which tv gardener said that to get red bracts the second year you need to put the plant in a black bag and it will develop the colour because its in the dark. it did not work for me.
Grandmage it was lovely to see and they had some cyclamen which perfumed the area. I would love to go again another year.

I really didn't know there was other colours besides red, Scotsgran! They are amazing! Thanks for showing us all of these and especially for the advice as I know nothing at all about them!

Rose I have always liked them but never had any luck looking after them, but I am not good with house plants of any kind really. It was good to be able to ask questions about them of a grower. We were like a lot of nodding donkeys because every time a member of the party asked a question we were all nodding in agreement and waiting to hear the answer. There were lots of parties but never more than twelve people in any of them so that you had an opportunity to ask questions and hear the answers. I'm glad I went along.

Those poinsettias really are beautiful! I always have one at Christmas and have a varied record in terms of keeping them. I am afraid I also am not the best when it comes to nurturing houseplants, but I do love them and keep trying! M&S have some lovely little ones in pots at the moment. I can't make up my mind whether to get one or go for the usual size.

I was greedy Mel and my excuse is I wanted to show OH what he missed. He did not want to go so I invited some friends along instead. I have all four standing on a deep tray. Together as a group they look very nice.

Don't your new additions look great. I don't 'do' house plants but I can at least appreciate their beauty!
It a nice GC isn't it. She always has something a wee bit different from the norm. Their bacon rolls are great too!

I so agree. I don't know how it took me so long to find this GC.

Great photos Scotsgran, I live near Pentland Plants so will need to go on a shopping trip! Their plant quality is great... I bought some pink geraniums late in the summer and they are still flowering so well. I've got quite a few plants in the garden from there, some are quite new and I am looking forward to seeing them grow in 2013.
Thanks to Scottish as well for the recommendation on the bacon rolls...another reason to pay a visit!

Thank you Sarahm. I too like the quality of their plants and usually buy at least one alpine plant when I go in. I bought some Gentian saxona that day.

Fabulous blog...I particularly like the first photo of the 'sea of red'. Lovely! I'm not a fan, but now I've read Bilbo's legend I think I love them more! Now, since we're on the subject of houseplants, can anyone tell me why my ficus insist on dropping almost all their leaves right now? They are not dry, or wet, they are in light positions but not next to radiators.....I'm resisting tearing my own hair out...one baldie in the family is enough...no, not him, I mean the plants!! ;)

I'm glad to hear its not him lol. It would be a mite cold for him where you live. Sorry I can't help with your question but I'm sure someone can. That is a sweet story.

I seem to kill house plants, Scotsgran, don't know why!

Ficus - I had a HUGE one on my landing and eventually it outgrew the house, so now I'm sadly without it. It used to drop its leaves once a year - usually all down the stairs. It didn't do it for the first few years and when it started, I thought something must be wrong. However, I just left it and after a few weeks it started growing new leaves. After that, I just assumed it was part of its natural cycle. It would drop most of its leaves - usually around now. I used to put it out on the patio from June to September and it seemed really to enjoy that!

I have seen red and white versions, Scotsgran, but never those beautiful pink varieties. I would be very tempted if I saw one of those especially now I know better how to look after it. Marabella is lovely but I really would like my own Pink Cadillac :)

My three friends and I were very tempted. It was very difficult to choose the ones we eventually bought. I have been looking on the internet to see who else sells these other colours and I could not find a supplier in UK with this range of colours.

It's interesting to know there are so many different types.
You've made me want to buy one now lol ! :D

I'm glad you liked the blog Hywel. It was a great way to spend the morning.

I've only just found this blog, Scotsgran, but it's beautiful! Thank you. Straight into favourites. I only found out about the paler poinsettias a little while back and immediately fell in love with them. Unfortunately we only ever see red ones out here.; Until yesterday, when I found some little pale, creamy green ones at the back of a shelf in a very overheated branch of Ikea! They looked a bit battered and floppy, but I bought them and they are busy recovering and making up part of a Christmas decoration in a coolish room and looking really fantastic. Now I shall start looking for some of these brilliant pink varieties. You've whetted my appetite!

Thank you Gattina. I think the shops will only be starting to stock the bulk of the poisettias that will be sold from now till Christmas. I noticed some different ones in a Sainsburys yesterday.
I hope your new plants live for you. Have a happy Christmas and best wishes for a good growing season in 2013.

Grazie altrettanto!

and to you

Lovely pictures Scotsgran.....I was given a small red Poinsettia by my neighbour when I broke my ankle last December. It kept its red bracts, so I kept it on the kitchen window ledge. It suddenly dropped its leaves early November. I thought it was because I let it get too dry. So I watered and fed it with Moth Orchid liquid feed. Now it has a good lot of leaves and has smaller red bracts than a commercially grown plant. To me, it is an amazing transformation in a short time, and it has not been re potted yet.

That is interesting Dorjac. You did well to keep it going for almost a year before it lost its leaves. I wonder what is in the food that would transform your plant and help it produce both leaves and bracts.

It was High Potash and High phosphate orchid liquid feed (Chempak) Scotsgran, as I was going over the Moth orchids, when I realised the small Poinsettia was in a bad way. I felt remorse, I neglected it, as we have had a crisis filled year. It was given me by my neighbour when I broke my ankle last December. The neighbour has also had a health crisis filled year too since then. He is only in his mid thirties. So I valued it, but let things slide a bit. 3 of my five orchids have flowering stems for the umpteenth time. So it is good stuff. You can get Poinsettia pink feed now too, in those little tubes.
.

Sorry to hear you have had a lousy year in some ways but I can see your plants transcend all the problems. They let you escape all the troubles for a time. I'll look out for that in the GC. I hope your neighbour is a lot better now.