Weeding the Web

How to look after your poinsettia

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas on a garden-related blog without a mention of poinsettia. And apparently I'm not the only one to think along these lines.

A survey of 1094 people in 16 European countries conducted last December by Stars for Europe (which, yes, represents the interests of poinsettia growers across the continent) found that poinsettias came third as a symbol of Christmas, just behind Christmas trees and candles.  Mind you, what they seem to have done is lumped "stars and the star-shaped poinsettia" together as a category, so I can't help feeling that the plant might have been clinging to the coat-tails of the celestial body, if you see what I mean.

However, poinsettias, first bred commercially in the USA in the 1950s, are here to stay for Christmas, and I must admit I rather like them.

Rutger's If Plants Could Talk website has a video in which Dr George Wulster looks at different cultivars (Plum Pudding, anyone?) and also gives tips on poinsettia care from the moment you buy it - take a large bag with you to protect it from the cold. Among other tips are that you only need to water when the surface of the soil is dry to the touch.

It also gives what I think is the clearest explanation of what is good, indirect light - when you can see the shadow of your hand on the surface where the pot will stand (without the sun directly on it, obviously).

Presents for Gardeners: RHS discount on botanical prints

Botanical paintings seem to demand more than ordinary painting skills. Not only do you need to be expert with a brush, but you need an eye for detail that is truly a gift in itself.

The annual exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists (which will take place in April next year) is a delight of close observation and pin-sharp accuracy, revealing beauty in small things that you might not have previously observed. I think vegetables come out particularly well, as normally we just see them on the kitchen table being eviscerated, peeled or chopped for the pot.

Meanwhile, if someone you know would enjoy a botanical study for Christmas, RHS Prints are offering 20% off all orders, with the last order date for the UK being 17th December. They have a large range of flower portraits, fruit and veg, company adverts (or garden heritage, as it’s called) and trees and gardens and sell prints on standard (photographic) paper or as giclée prints on art paper. I’d recommend the latter, as they’ll look more striking on the wall.

More squirrel-proofing ideas for your bird-feeder

The restaurant next door hasn’t exactly closed; let’s just say that the menu has been suspended, and I don’t mean literally. The nuts in the feeder have not been replenished since the frenzy on the first day of opening.

Still, there are measures that will discourage squirrels from bankrupting a bird feeder and you’ll find a good selection on the Dobbies blog which, unlike many blogs attached to commercial sites, is good fun and very readable. And I'm not just saying that because they guested here last week!

In Tips for Squirrel Proofing your Bird Feeder, Rob Plastow lists spicy seeds and spinners among methods to muddle the little munchkins. And there’s an excellent video showing the benefits of a greasy pole.

Still, if you’ve got a bird feeder that’s being plundered, rather than buying another, squirrel-proof version, a baffle might be the answer. Presents for Men has a sturdy looking one for £24.99. Hanging it above your current feeder might just “baffle” them into giving up. (If anyone's tried making one with a dustbin lid, let us know.)

Finally, squirrels seem to have more than their fair share of video online. Below is the advert for Carling Black Label from 1989, which still makes me laugh, while you can get more giggles at WebTVHub and Tom Jepson’s Funny Squirrels Page, which includes another laugh-out-loud ad, this time for Budweiser.

Presents for Gardeners: decorative bird scarers

In summer, vegetable gardens around the country are festooned with CDs. There's no doubt that they catch the light (this summer, a lunch guest stoically put up with being blinded every 30 seconds, as a distant CD twisted in the breeze and sent blazes of light into the dining-room - if only he'd mentioned it earlier...). But they ain't pretty.

So here's another idea for a present. Gardeners who find hanging tat in the garden offensive might be glad to receive a more attractive bird scarer, and something that last year was awarded Gift of the Year in the Outdoor Living Category. Gift of the Year is a competition run by the Giftware Association, which looks for, according to their website, innovative designs of good quality, well presented.

Certainly the Birds Away kit caught my eye, and I wanted to know more. Unfortunately Gifts for the Girls, who include it in their catalogue, never answered my email asking what the little forks and trowels are made of, but one assumes it is something shiny.

If you prefer something with a whiff of magic, however, I think these stainless steel fairies from Black Forge Art fit the bill. At £15 each, or four for £50, they're not as cheap as CDs, of course, but cut from mirror-polished stainless steel, they're definitely more decorative.