Frost your poinsettia for holidays
Add a sparkle that will be long remembered
There is an excitement in the air aboutChristmas this year, and it appears to be as contagious as ... you know. Right now, it doesn’t seem to be about presents or shopping, though that will probably come. It seems to have a focus on tradition, on family, a return to what is important. The beauty of the season seems to have achieved a status that has been unprecedented for awhile. In 2020, decorating indoors has become the so-called “frosting on the cake.”
In case you haven’t ever thought about that term, it means taking something great and making it better. The poinsettia is no doubt the most loved flower for the Christmas season. There are somany colors, variegations of both leaves and flowers, and even varieties with differing textures like curled or rosette. While they have breathtaking beauty, they too can have the addition of awonderful frosting.
This frosting comes via a plant combination. We make plant partnerships every spring in flower beds, containers on the porch, patio or deck and even in floral arrangements for the dining table. When it comes to the poinsettia, however, many retreat to monoculture, or perhaps add a little greenery, which isOK. Knowthough that the poinsettia has a cousin that will add a sparkle that will be long remembered.
You probably knowthis cousin as the toughest flower in the summer garden that you have ever grown. It may be the most awarded plant of all time, but this is a challenge hard to quantify. You knowit asDiamond Frost euphorbia. That is right, both the poinsettia and Diamond Frost are euphorbias. Whilewe let Diamond Frost sizzle in mixed containers or planters, it is a rare gardener that has tried it indoors, where it is very adaptable.
To partner with your holiday poinsettias, you maywant to shop nowat garden centers or online. If your garden has not frozen yet, as is the case in much of zone 7-10, you can also lift some fromoutdoor containers or the flower border. Your indoor containers and size of poinsettias will dictate howmanyDiamond Frost you will need. The look will be as if the red bracts of the poinsettia are resting on a bed of frost. No matter the color of poinsettia, your design will look as though it has been enhanced by a floral artist.
This year, therewas a new euphorbia selection introduced called Diamond Snow. This euphorbia will skyrocket in popularity as it sports double flowers and, in the case of the poinsettia partnership, it will look as though the bracts are sitting on a fresh bed of snow. As if this could not get any better, last year a florist hadmemesmerizedwith her special take that not only featured the plant combination but the addition of a little fake ice drizzle on the poinsettia bracts.
I amseeing virtual classes on the care ofChristmas plants and decorating, but if youwould like simple recipes that will make you look like a professional, then use the internet to go to Proven Winners DiamondPoint Centerpiece. I promise youwill be thrilled to tell guests you created the centerpiece.