Have you seen the fabulous colors and varieties of poinsettias lately? Stop by the Flower Shop and feast your eyes on Marble, Freedom, Monet and Peppermint, just to name a few. No matter what your décor, you can find this symbol of the holidays in a color to complement any room. Of course, if you prefer a splash of red, you will find beautiful varieties of those classic beauties as well. Did you know that botanist Joel Robert Poinsett, a Southern plantation owner, discovered the poinsettia plant on a trip to Mexico?

Poinsettia care:

To get the most out of your poinsettia, place it in bright but indirect light and water regularly, allowing the soil to drain and to become dry to the touch between watering.

For a healthier plant that will bloom longer, maintain the temperature between 65 and 75 degrees. Avoid drafts from windows and heating vents, as this may cause premature leaf drop. That means that you cannot leave your poinsettias outside overnight during the winter. To add color at your doorstep, try cyclamen instead.

After all danger of frost has past, cut the stems back to 2 or 3 buds above the ground and put it outdoors in a sunny, but protected area. Pinch the new growth as it reaches 6 inches. Two pinchings are usually sufficient.

How do I get my poinsettia to bloom again?

To insure a Christmas bloom, you have to artificially shorten the days beginning in October. Bring your poinsettia back inside. Each evening, move it into a dark closet or cover it with a light-tight box for 12 – 14 hours. Even the slightest exposure to light during this period will delay flowering. After ten weeks of shortened days, your poinsettia should bloom for your holiday enjoyment.

The days are still nice, but as the night temperatures fall it is time to think about frost protection for some of your plants. If you are unsure which plants need protection, check Sunset Western Garden Book or come into Orchard and consult with our Certified Nursery Professionals.

Frost-tender plants that are in pots can be pulled back close to the house under an overhang. The south side of your house is the warmest, and the north side is the coldest. The west side is warmer than the east. House walls give off more heat than walls of an unheated garage, and fences give little protection at all.

The very best spot for tender plants would be under an overhang next to a large window or sliding glass door. Most of the heat lost from our houses escapes via the windows. This is bad news for our heating bills but good news for tender plants.

Frost falls almost straight down. This means that plants back under a solid overhang are protected. Boston ferns hung at the edge will often be burned on the outside but fine on the inside. The same will happen to jade plants that are not tucked in far enough. If you have no porches, putting the plants under a dense evergreen tree will often be enough.

Plants that are planted in the ground obviously cannot be moved. However, they can be covered. Purchase a product called “Frost Cloth” or in an emergency, cover with a light-weight sheet. For longer term protection, build a frame and cover it with clear plastic. If the plant is particularly tender, get an extension cord and rig a light in the enclosure. Put it on a timer so it turns on every night without fail.

As the nights turn frosty, there are lots of ways to protect your plants, but please think about it before they get hurt, not the day after!

These lovely decorated weather-resistant clocks and thermometers will be sure to keep you in tune with the weather and on schedule. You’ll love the antique copper, French bronze or verdigris finish on these decorative beauties. Along with the early morning crispness, you’ll want to keep your feathered friends happy with this assortment of tube feeders. Choose from pine cones, oak leaves, dragonflies or trumpet vines for a fine garden look.  These make beautiful garden accents and are the perfect gift for the gardener in your life.  We have endless ideas for gifts for gardeners.  Stop by and we’d be happy to recommend a few!

One aspect of lettuce that sets it apart from any other vegetable is that you can only have it in one form, and that is fresh.

There are hundreds of different varieties of lettuce. Today, an increasing variety is available so that the salad bowl can contain a wealth of color and texture.

Round Lettuces:
Sometimes called head or cabbage lettuces, round lettuces have cabbage-like heads and include:

Butterheads: These are the classic lettuces seen in kitchen gardens. They have a pale heart and floppy, loosely packed leaves. They have a flavor as long as they are fresh.

Crispheads: Crisp lettuces, such as iceberg, have an excellent crunchy texture and will keep their vitality long after butterheads have faded and died.

Looseheads: These are non-hearting lettuce with loose leaves and include lollo rosso and lollo biondo, oak leaf lettuce and red salad bowl. Although they are not particularly remarkable for their flavor, they look superb.

Cos Lettuces:
The romaine is the only lettuce that would have existed in antiquity. It is known by two names: cos, derived form the Greek island where it was found by the Romans, and romaine, the name used by the French after it was introduced to France from Rome. There are two romaine lettuces, both with long, erect heads.

Romaine: Considered the most delicious lettuce, this has a firm texture and a faintly nutty taste. It is the correct lettuce for Caesar Salad, one of the classic salads.

Bibb: In appearance, Bibbs look like something between a baby romaine and a tightly furled butterhead. They have firm hearts and are enjoyed for their distinct flavor. Like other lettuce hearts, they cope well with being cooked.

Lamb's Lettuce or Corn Salad:
This popular winter leaf does not actually belong to the lettuce family, but as it makes a lovely addition to salads, this seems a good place to include it. Called mache in France, it has spoon-shaped leaves and an excellent nutty flavor.

Lettuce likes moist, fertile, well drained soil and a sunny location. Plants grow quickly and will need a constant supply of water and nutrients.

Eat lettuce as soon as possible after harvesting, but if you can’t, keep it in a cool dark place, such as the salad drawer of the fridge.

Lettuce is rich in calcium, potassium, iron and vitamins A, E and C, along with traces of other elements. Keep in mind that the darker leaves contain the most nutrients.

Paul K Restaurant in San Francisco (at 199 Gough St., a great place to go before a show in the Civic Center area) does a good salad of grilled romaine hearts, with medjool dates, Point Reyes blue cheese, red onion, and anchovy garlic vinaigrette. Sounded a little different at first, but it was good.

Resources used for information:
- Vegetarian and Vegetable Cooking, by Christine Ingram
- The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market Cookbook,
            by Christopher Hirsheimer and Peggy Knickerbocker
- The New Food Lover's Companion, by Sharon Tyler Herbst
- UC Davis, Vegetable and Information Center, (various leaflets)
- Sunset Western Garden Book, edited by Kathleen Norris Brenzel