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Poinsettias in abundance!

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On a recent visit to the Canary Isles I was astonished to see poinsettias all over the place giving these sun-kissed islands a Christmassy appearance under clear blue skies!

They are used to decorate public places.
They are used as bedding plants completely filling some flower beds.
They appear in window boxes.
They grow very tall and form spreading plants.
They seem to thrive in parks, gardens and just about everywhere!

I thought you might like to see them, even though we are beginning to take down the Christmas decorations and are looking anxiously at our own poinsettias!

They were so bright and cheery but I am now looking forward to the dainty snowdrop to make me smile!

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

More blog posts by wildrose

Previous post: RHS Rosemoor, illuminated for Christmas.

Next post: My last year's favourite plants.



Comments

 

They're quite a sight ! It doesn't look as if they are meant to be small and compact does it ... They are very attractive. Maybe I'll buy one and let it grow tall in the conservatory.

3 Jan, 2018

 

they love the conditions over there. to cold here unless you can keep them warm enough. I had one for about 5 yrs and played around with the light regimen to get them to re colour, which they did. it did get very leggy so I went in the compost bin eventually. It also got white fly, the only houseplant I have had to do so.

3 Jan, 2018

bjs
Bjs
 

Have seen them on the Island of Madeira they grow as trees there 15 ft high at least

3 Jan, 2018

 

Your photos of Madeira look so warm and cheery, I'm getting withdrawal symptoms for some bright weather. Happy New Year to you.

3 Jan, 2018

 

I don’t remember seeing many when I have been in the Canaries, but thats probably because I don’t like them. They can’t stand abrupt changes in temperature if I remember rightly. But I agree...would much rather see a snowdrop at this time of year. In the second photo, I was thinking that somebody had pinned poinsettias to the end of the branches of another shrub...took me a while to work it out! In Spain (including the Canaries) they celebrate Epiphany don’t they...so they will be having their parades at the end of this week. It seems like ages since Christmas now. I can see a change in the sunlight already here in Scotland, and we had a cuppa on the patio today between weeding the borders. Thankfully we missed out on the gales this time around!

3 Jan, 2018

 

I much prefer them as large shrubs.....make wonderful companions to my jungly plants......
A Happy New Year to you Wildrose.....

3 Jan, 2018

 

They look wonderful, Chris, thanks for sharing. At a friend's house yesterday, I saw a lovely "swag" of red chillies which my friend had sewn on to string - they looked very Christmassy!

4 Jan, 2018

 

I love these 'Christmassy' plants, though I usually fail to keep them for more than two or three months. I also remember seeing them on Madeira and being amazed how big they grew.

4 Jan, 2018

 

I like Poinsettias as they are bright, and cheerful and hold happy memories for me. However an affluent Indian friend was quite scornful when she saw them . She said around her home they were "weeds" . Didn't put me off!

5 Jan, 2018

 

Thank you all for commenting. It is lovely to read your thoughts and experiences.

After two weeks of constant rain and wind at home, I now ask myself 'Did I really see those flowers, did I feel the warm sunshine, was I really there?'
It all seems a very distant memory!!
Mind you, there is no place like home. Roll on snowdrop and daffodil time!

5 Jan, 2018

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