As with my change of heart on ornamental cabbage and kale I remember the exact moment that I realized Poinsettias have potential. It’s when I saw this…
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It's the work of Justine Hand, and it appeared on Gardenista last December. I was instantly smitten!
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Inspired by this gorgeous display, it’s time to take the Poinsettia out of the grocery store, unbind it from the garish foil wrapper and let it shine!
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Well, unless foil and glitter is your idea of beauty in which case….more foil! More glitter! Just no office-cubicle Poinsettia that has been (barely) living-on stale air and florescent lights for 5 years since that great office party when you finally hooked up with the, oh wait. Sorry. Family blog…
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Anyway… like last time I’m counting on you to come up with your interpretation of a Poinsettia display done right…
Does that mean a cut flower arrangement? Great! (just make sure you read the tip about searing the stem on that Gardenista post! “A seared poinsettia stem will prevent the sap from bleeding, and still will allow the plant to draw water”).
Does that mean potted plants en masse? Super!
Are you one of the lucky birds who lives somewhere that Poinsettia can go outside? Do it!
The goal here is pretty much the same as last time, take the lowly grocery store "token Christmas plant" into the modern era and give it a new look, a designy twist. For a little Poinsettia inspiration I visited Marbotts Nursery in NE Portland, they've got a beautiful selection, every size and (natural) color...
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(there's one in every crowd - that's a branch too, not a separate plant)
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The challenge is on as of today! Send your image to spiky plants at gmail dot com. The contest will close on Christmas Eve, I’ll post the entries during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. During that time the judges will get together (as schedules permit) and the winner will (hopefully) be announced the first week of January. I'm still trying to track down a suitable prize, I've got an idea but it's proving a little harder to find than I imagined....stay tuned for more on that...
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And just in case you're wondering...the Poinsettia's botanical name is Euphorbia pulcherrima and grows to be a tall shrub/small tree (3-15 ft tall, 3-7 ft wide) in Mexico and Central America. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden: "Contrary to conventional wisdom, poinsettia plants are not a poisonous plant. A Ohio State University study showed that a 50 pound child could eat 500 bracts and might have a slight stomach ache. However, the white sap can have allergic properties, especially for people who have latex allergies." Still - it's probably better to keep your kids, and pets, from munching down on your Poinsettia display, fix them a nice salad instead.
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Oh, who are our judges you ask? The opinionated bunch from last time will be returning (Nathan, Heather and Wes) and (drum roll) the talented Kate Blairstone will be joining us this time! Kate (in her own words) creates "badass floral illustration and design" and she's also "a gardener, textile hoarder and printmaker" plus she's a social media whiz and a way cool lady. You really should click on this link to see her stunning work.
Now I'm busy purchasing my Poinsettias and dreaming up my mantle display which I'll share next week. I can't wait to see what you do!
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All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
It's the work of Justine Hand, and it appeared on Gardenista last December. I was instantly smitten!
Inspired by this gorgeous display, it’s time to take the Poinsettia out of the grocery store, unbind it from the garish foil wrapper and let it shine!
Well, unless foil and glitter is your idea of beauty in which case….more foil! More glitter! Just no office-cubicle Poinsettia that has been (barely) living-on stale air and florescent lights for 5 years since that great office party when you finally hooked up with the, oh wait. Sorry. Family blog…
Anyway… like last time I’m counting on you to come up with your interpretation of a Poinsettia display done right…
Does that mean a cut flower arrangement? Great! (just make sure you read the tip about searing the stem on that Gardenista post! “A seared poinsettia stem will prevent the sap from bleeding, and still will allow the plant to draw water”).
Does that mean potted plants en masse? Super!
Are you one of the lucky birds who lives somewhere that Poinsettia can go outside? Do it!
The goal here is pretty much the same as last time, take the lowly grocery store "token Christmas plant" into the modern era and give it a new look, a designy twist. For a little Poinsettia inspiration I visited Marbotts Nursery in NE Portland, they've got a beautiful selection, every size and (natural) color...
(there's one in every crowd - that's a branch too, not a separate plant)
The challenge is on as of today! Send your image to spiky plants at gmail dot com. The contest will close on Christmas Eve, I’ll post the entries during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. During that time the judges will get together (as schedules permit) and the winner will (hopefully) be announced the first week of January. I'm still trying to track down a suitable prize, I've got an idea but it's proving a little harder to find than I imagined....stay tuned for more on that...
And just in case you're wondering...the Poinsettia's botanical name is Euphorbia pulcherrima and grows to be a tall shrub/small tree (3-15 ft tall, 3-7 ft wide) in Mexico and Central America. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden: "Contrary to conventional wisdom, poinsettia plants are not a poisonous plant. A Ohio State University study showed that a 50 pound child could eat 500 bracts and might have a slight stomach ache. However, the white sap can have allergic properties, especially for people who have latex allergies." Still - it's probably better to keep your kids, and pets, from munching down on your Poinsettia display, fix them a nice salad instead.
Oh, who are our judges you ask? The opinionated bunch from last time will be returning (Nathan, Heather and Wes) and (drum roll) the talented Kate Blairstone will be joining us this time! Kate (in her own words) creates "badass floral illustration and design" and she's also "a gardener, textile hoarder and printmaker" plus she's a social media whiz and a way cool lady. You really should click on this link to see her stunning work.
Now I'm busy purchasing my Poinsettias and dreaming up my mantle display which I'll share next week. I can't wait to see what you do!
All material © 2009-2015 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.