The Joy of Gardening

[homoe]

As an alternative to Poinsettias try Christmas Cactus. Grow this long-living winter bloomer in bright indirect sunlight. While it's flowering, water and feed weekly with liquid cactus and succulent food.

[Lyte]

Oh... cool thread! I love gardening tho it's so much harder here in Texas than California. But... I'm determined to figure something out for my yards!

[homoe]

Senecio ficoides skyscraper; a crowd pleasing succulent that's happy indoors or out. In a container this tall upright grower with blue-green foliage reaches 2 to 3 feet without any staking. As a houseplant, it needs bright indirect light or place it in a sunny spot in your garden/yard once the danger of frost has passed.

[Lyte]

I just made a quick trip to Tractor Supply. If you've never been... it's pretty neat! It's like … a much smaller Home Depot but for farmers and cattle ranchers. There's stuff there you didn't know you needed till you saw it!

I needed some T-BARS (tall metal stakes) to secure this three year old Bur Oak I bought a couple years ago. It's GROWING and now LEANING in a way that makes me nervous. I'll post a picture or two later this week.

[homoe]

Originally Posted by homoe

As an alternative to Poinsettias try Christmas Cactus. Grow this long-living winter bloomer in bright indirect sunlight. While it's flowering, water and feed weekly with liquid cactus and succulent food.

However if you do have a poinsettia, to keep it thriving after the holidays, place it in a spot that gets bright morning daylight and avoid hot afternoon sun. Keep them slightly moist and away from drafts of hot or cold air

[homoe]

Enjoy the fresh scent of an herb garden by snipping stems of bay, culinary sage, lavender, mint, and rosemary.

Add these plus seed heads of fennel, sweet cicely and yarrow to flowers arrangements, garlands, swags, or wreaths.

[homoe]

....
Slather pine-cones with peanut butter, roll them in birdseed, and hang them in shrubs and trees or from hooks on a patio/terrace to provide wildlife with a tasty winter treat!

[homoe]

Originally Posted by homoe

....
Slather pine-cones with peanut butter, roll them in birdseed, and hang them in shrubs and trees or from hooks on a patio/terrace to provide wildlife with a tasty winter treat!

We tried this and the results were amazing! We hung the pine-cones near our carport and garage.

[homoe]

Originally Posted by homoe

....
Slather pine-cones with peanut butter, roll them in birdseed, and hang them in shrubs and trees or from hooks on a patio/terrace to provide wildlife with a tasty winter treat!

You will want to hang these up high enough that they don't attract rodents!

[homoe]

Dig Holes First -- Your plants will thank you if you have their new home set up and ready to go before you pull them out of their containers. This allows for minimal transplant shock because the roots aren't over exposed to elements like the sun or wind.

Get 'Em Ready -- A few days before the big event give a boost of energy with some organic liquid fertilizer to help with any shock during transplanting. Give them a drink of water several hours before planting them into their permanent home.

Perfect Weather -- Perfect transplanting weather may not look like that you think it should; drizzly or overcast weather is the idea situation. If you don't see any in the forecast, plant them in the early morning when there's the least amount of sun for them to contend with.

Again, most veteran gardeners no doubt know all this, but for a novice like me they will come in very handy!

[homoe]

Originally Posted by homoe

Enjoy the fresh scent of an herb garden by snipping stems of bay, culinary sage, lavender, mint, and rosemary.

Add these plus seed heads of fennel, sweet cicely and yarrow to flowers arrangements, garlands, swags, or wreaths.

Go wild and use your imagination!

[homoe]

Originally Posted by homoe

However if you do have a poinsettia, to keep it thriving after the holidays, place it in a spot that gets bright morning daylight and avoid hot afternoon sun. Keep them slightly moist and away from drafts of hot or cold air

It depends on all how well you follow the helpful hints mentioned above. A quality plant in the right location that is well-cared for can stay in bloom for up to six months. But that is unusual. Most poinsettias will last for 4 to 6 weeks before the flowers begin to fall off.