Gardening with Soule

I bought my pointsettias today.  They really Christmas up the house.

I did a bit of reading and I found out about the history of this festive holiday plant. Legend has it that a small girl named Pepita and her brother Pedro were on their way to present gifts for their Chapel’s Christmas Eve service.  Pepita had nothing to give so her brother told her “I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes”.  With that thought, she gathered some weeds together into a small bouquet.  Although embarrassed she laid them at the foot of the nativity scene.  They burst into beautiful blooms of red.  Everyone was sure that it was a Christmas miracle. The flowers became known as the Flowers of the Holy Night and they bloomed every year during the Christmas season. 

 Euphorbia pulcherrima  are what we know as the Pointsettia.  They were first introduced into the U. S. in 1825 by Joel Robert Poinsett, then U. S. Ambassador to Mexico.  This is where they got their common name. 

Some say pointsett-a, others say pointsett-E-a which is more true to the spelling. Whatever you call them, they are a necessity to Christmas for most.  

 Keep them damp not wet. They like to be in bright light, 65 or so degrees, no drafts and away from heating ducts. They are not poisonous as many believe. But eating them could give you a stomach ache. So find something else to munch on instead. 

So this is what’s blooming at my house.  Hope your Fertilizer Friday is going well and filled with many blooms of all kinds. 

In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.  ~William Blake