Every year for Christmas I buy one or two (or three) pots of poinsettias mixed with other plants. All is well until December 26 when I start noticing how pitiful the poinsettias are looking. Sorry if I offend, but there is nothing worse than a poinsettia after Christmas. Most of the time I take the pots and dump them in the garden – and am glad to be rid of them. This year my daughter encouraged me to try and save the pretty greenery that was left. Since every window in my home that I look out of presents me with varying shades of white and grey I thought maybe it would be nice to have a little garden in January. So I brought in a wrought iron planter that I usually have sitting on my deck. I put in a clean liner and then proceeded to tear the old arrangements apart. What was left I kept in their original plastic liners and fertilized lightly with an everyday houseplant fertilizer (10-20-10). I washed and then sprayed the plants with a bit of ‘Safers’ garden spray (fungicide, insecticide) since I just know that there has got to be a spider mite in there somewhere . . . Then I arranged them in the planter and stood back and admired. It was easy peasy because I didn’t have to add any extra soil – the fertilizer will keep them going for a few months and that’s all I can ask for.
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| aaack! after the massacre! |
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| snip off all flowers from the Kalanchoes and other plants – you will be richly rewarded in a month or two |
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| wash and spray with an insecticide/fungicide |
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| and you will have a pretty little garden in January |
looks beautiful! as do you in your great new profile photo!!! LOVE IT!!!
ooh la la, love the new profile pic Barb! very nice. the depth of your creativity astounds me. You are full of ideas. I just love that. And not only are you full of ideas, but you take them and make something happen – something extraordinary. Now that is talent. I did make those cheddar scones and they were a big hit! I hope you have months of enjoyment from your cool new window garden. Wishing you all the best in this new year. happy day to you Barb.
ohh love your new header and your new profile pic is quite lovely. I tend to through away old plants in January and buy new fresh ones. I am not real good with inside plants, I think it is too dry and I tend to not water them as much as I should. This is a lovely idea and again, thanks for sharing all of your amazing talents with us.
Wow…you have quite the knack! (Personally, I LOVE the frilly fern!) I have a white kalanchoe…I know, because it was blooming when I bought it last year….but it’s just glossy green now. Of course, it would help if I had some natural light in the house.
Awesome planter…love the beautiful greens when everything is gray outside! Tiffany
Looks so nice!
Your planter looks gorgeous! I love the frilly fern!
WOW…what a great idea…thank you for sharing with us at my NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY party…hope you are having a fun time here.
Blessings,
Linda
Thanks for the tutorial. You have a lovely planter…and gorgeous photos. Happy New Year.
Gorgeous planter–and your pictures are so clear and crisp–I need a new camera! Happy 2012!
Great idea! Will have to try it with my poinsettias:)
Love the new look on your blog.
The new growth looks so crisp and green. Nicely captured and presented.
I love you collage of photos on the new January greenery and I feel for the sad Poinsettias. Nice post! :))
Came out wonderfully! Love your new look!
Love the planters but, alas, I do not have a green thumb. I will wait until spring to see what I can keep alive – LOL. Great header and photo! Happy New Year!
Look at that profile picture, gorgeous.
Now you dumped the pointsettias right? I agree with you they are super ugly past Christmas. I should know, I kept 5 of them once in the office and catered to them for over a year. They were leggy and never sprouted another bloom.
Love the profile pic..I can’t use or be near any insecticides so I would have to leave it alone…
How pretty ~ what a great idea!
what a great idea, and what great photos, too.
Gorgeous planter! Wonderful idea.
I absolutely LOVE the first photograph here. so perfect for the beginning of a new year!
Beautiful. And you reminded my how pitiful my poinsettia looks on my front porch. If you have a moment, I would be thrilled if you shared this on my Inspiration Board {link party}. I know my readers would love it.
http://carolynshomework.blogspot.com/2012/01/inspiration-board-link-party-31.html
carolyn – homework
Love it! Such a great idea and it looks fresh and beautiful. Perfect way to welcome in the New Year! Thanks for sharing at Inspiration Friday~
Vanessa
Your plant redo looks great. I love the one with the white tips, the frilly fern. My poinsettias are looking pretty sad too. At this point my brain has moved on to other sorts of flowers…ones that will photography nicely :)
What a great post. I love this idea. Your photos are gorgeous and your blog title is wonderful…I tell myself that moto is the secret to staying young. :) Seriousl.
~Liz
P.S. I’m following you now… hope you will come by and say hi. ALSO…this would be a great post for Fresh-Cut Friday!
loving this!! Thanks so much for linking up and sharing!
http://www.blissfulanddomestic.blogspot.com
What a wonderful idea, you didn’t buy the arrangement, right? You created it yourself? I love every plant in it, especially the frilly fern! I don’t know much about houseplants, but this post has been an inspiration. Low light, I’m assuming? It thrives at a window? You have a real talent for arranging the plants!
Gorgeous foliage Barb! How refreshing to see this!! Turned out beautiful! Glad you linked up at Overflowing with Creativity!!!
XO, Aimee
Great job Barb! It turned out great! Thank you for sharing at my place!
Melody
ChattyChics.com
PS Please come back and share another one tomorrow if you can. :)