Wheelchair Gardener: Poinsettias

Inspiration

We do not remember days...

We remember moments.

(Cesare Pavese)

********

"An hour in the garden puts life's problems into perspective."

Some say I am confined to wheelchairBut I don’t think they know

That though my body is affected I still am on the go.

I go to visit those I love

And walk to market place;

I tread the woods until it rains

And then the rainbow trace.

Of course my body cannot always go

For it’s been restricted for days,

But who would say paralysis confines

A soul and mind that dreams and prays?

Although my body sometimes lets me down

Through days of darkest night,

My spirit soars on wings of prayer

And moves with speed of light.

In dreams and prayer I visit those I love;

Great is the gift of prayer;

And when my thoughts are beamed toward you

You’ll sense my presence there.

-Borrowed

Friday, May 15, 2009

Poinsettias

You might wonder why I'm writing about Poinsettias at this time of the year (and I regret that I didn't think to do it a couple of months ago) you'll see from the pictures:

Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherima), from Mexico and Central America, is a shrub (to 15 ft). An American's symbol of Christmas.

It's whorls of upper leaves, red, pink, white, salmon, or varigated, masquerading as blooms are actually splendid ruffs encircling the true, yellow & green flowers.

When your poinsettia starts to drop its leaves and look ugly, don't throw it away.

Cut the stem in several pieces about 5 inches long.
Dip them in rooting compound and stick them in potting soil.

Soon you will see leaf buds sprouting along the sides of the stems.

Don't let the soil get too dry.

Use a liquid fertilizer frequently during the growing season.

You can put only one stem in a pot or for larger pots several stems.

As soon as the days get shorter, you will start to see the leaves getting color. At Christmas time you will have a beautiful show of poinsettias that would cost you a lot of money at the store.