Weeding the Web

Exotic flowers in turquoise vases: the trend for 2010

Gardeners aren’t known for slavishly following fashion, but I thought you might enjoy knowing that the trendy colour for this year is…turquoise.

Of course, this presents a slight problem to the flower industry. When you think about it, not too many petals parade in bright blue-green. Blues tend to head towards purple territory and greens acidulate towards yellow. Still the Flowers and Plants Association (FPA) has risen to the challenge.

Preserving the Poinsettia

Christmas doesn’t last as long as it used to. In my house, we stubbornly cling on to the twelve festive days and decorations don’t descend until 6th January. Which means that we are several days behind most people in wondering what to do with the poinsettia. In the right conditions, it should stay red for some weeks to come. By accident, we once had one that was still bright red in April, and from reading these poinsettia tips from Lelia Scott Kelly, a Horticultural Specialist at the Mississippi State University Extension Service, I now know it was because it stood on a moderately mild windowsill. If it’s crossed your mind to try to keep your poinsettia for next year, then she also gives instructions on what to do during the coming months. If you want a challenge this could be for you, but, I warn you, there’s an awful lot of temperature-watching, light-excluding and clock-watching involved. And just bear in mind that Lelia’s in Miss’ippi, which might affect your decision to follow her instruction to plant out in May…

Is Poinsettia Poisonous?

As we head towards Christmas, are you wondering about the wisdom of bringing a poinsettia into the house?

Poinsettias are widely believed to be poisonous. But this is the result of a deduction wrongly made, according to Land Steward website, back in 1919 when a toddler's death was wrongly attributed to eating poinsettia. Apparently,the American Medical Association's Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants lists nothing more than occasional vomiting as a side-effect of ingesting the leaves. Not that this is suggesting that anyone should try eating them.

Cat owners should note that it’s poisonous to cats, but only mildly so. As poinsettia belongs to the euphorbia family, it shares the characteristic of possessing an irritating milky sap. So, you might want to put it somewhere away from your pet’s favourite spots, but don't worry that it'll keel over with the first bite. According to Birmingham Cats Protection , symptoms could include excessive salivation and vomiting, diarrhoea and tremors but your cat should recover once the plant is removed.

That page includes other plants that don't mix with moggies. For an ultra-long list that surely has cat lovers tearing their hair out, visit Moggies, Home of the Online Cat Guide.