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Wednesday, November 14, 2007 The Braselton News Page 9A Holiday plants can lead double lives With the approach of winter and at least three months of drab weather, many of us can’t resist the temptation of purchasing potted flowering plants to add indoor fragrance and color to our homes. These also make great housewarming gifts to present to new neighbors or friends who invite us over for holiday get-togethers. But, when these plants begin to fade, we don’t always know quite what to do with them and, so, they eventu ally wind up in the garbage or frozen to death in outside gardens. Those who are unfamiliar with the growth habits of poinsettias, for example, often assume that when the leaves fall off, the plants are just not getting enough water or humidity in the air. And, as a result, they make the mistake of over-watering or misting the plants. Although misting the foliage is a practice recom mended for most houseplants, it’s not good for poin settias. To do so will cause fungus and brown spots to develop on previously flawless leaves and the brightly colored flower bracts, which are actually composed primarily of modified leaves that develop the color. Instead, it’s better to either place the plants on trays of moistened gravel or add a cool-water humidifier to the room far enough away to keep the mist off the leaves. Then, simply sit them in the brightest indoor light available, and keep the potting soil moist as long as the plants remain lush and attractive. When poinsettias begin to shed their leaves under such ideal growing conditions, it’s because they are supposed to do so. This is the way the plants adapt to the approaching dry season in their native habitat, and this natural period of dormancy is important to their well-being. The same is true for other members of the euphorbia family, which also includes the crown of thorns and many cactus-like succulents that bleed the same milky white sap when injured. In the tropics, all members of this family are coaxed into their annual period of rest mostly by changes in seasonal sunlight. When light becomes increasingly dim in late summer and early fall, poinsettias and their relatives first stop elongating and then start to form their flowers. A few months later, begin to shed. When this causes the plants to become utterly unsightly inside, water should be gradually withheld, and the plants relocated to a cooler sun porch, garage, or basement. Water them only enough to keep the stems from shriveling and let them sleep until warm weather returns in the spring. Once the danger of frost has completely passed, relocate them outdoors and resume watering to encourage new growth. Small gift-sized poinsettias can then be transplanted to larger pots and can grow to an impressive size in a single growing season. Getting them to flower again next season, however, isn’t so easy. But it’s certainly possible if you remember just one thing — their peculiar and changing light requirements. When the days naturally grow shorter, poinsettias must not receive any light after dusk. So, if you put them near a reading lamp indoors too soon, you’ll end up with a lush plant with no holiday color. Instead, try to place them where you can either cover them with a large black plastic garbage bag every night, or where no one will turn on a light fixture. Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti, which are always leafless, are also sensitive to seasonal light and tem peratures changes. Moving them into a room that’s too warm when buds are just beginning to form will often cause the buds to fall off unopened or fail to develop at all. Instead, keep them in a cooler guest room or slightly heated porch when new growth ceases, and leave them there until most of the flowers have fully opened. Also, allow the plants to dry out briefly between waterings as soon as flowering begins. Also popular for indoor holiday decor, non-tropicals first treated as houseplants can enjoy a second life out doors. Yet in spite of their inbred hardiness to cold weather, this transition should not be attempted until mid-April. Among these, potted mums are especially popular now, and most will adapt well to outside gardening once established in the ground next spring. In the mean time, simply groom the plants, keep them as cool and well-lighted as possible through the winter, and keep a close eye out for aphids, mealy bugs, and spider mites. Hydrangeas and azaleas can be held over in a similar manner with one difference. Most azaleas will not form their flower buds until next summer and cannot be expected to bloom again outside until the following spring. Florist hydrangeas, on the other hand, will form their flower buds at the tips of branches and, even when the plants become leafless or nearly so indoors, these should be carefully protected if you expect a good show this coming summer. A few of the newer hydrangeas bloom on new, as well as old growth, but these normally are not offered as florist plants for indoor enjoyment. And don’t forget, if you want to change their color from blue to pink or vice versa, use a good water-sol uble acidifier for blue; lime for pink. You can start this color transformation while the plants are still indoors, and continue it when the time comes to establish them outdoors in the spring. Fil Jessee lives in Braselton, where he works as a freelance journalist. He is a Georgia Certified Plant Professional with experience in ornamental horticul ture and landscape design. Reader questions relating to gardening can be sent to Fil at filwrites@aol.com. Gardener’s Grapevine with Fil Jessee filwrites@aol.com Celtic Christmas show to be presented Dec. 7 The Winder Cultural Arts Department will present “A Celtic Acoustic Christmas Show” on Friday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 9, 3 p.m. The show will feature singers and songwriters Harry O’Donoghue and Carroll Brown. The show will be filled with traditional Celtic, Southern and seasonal songs, com plimented by stories and recita tions. Brown is an acoustic guitarist and singer/songwriter from South Carolina with more than 30 years of experience in the music busi ness. O’Donoghue is from the east coast of Ireland and been perform ing professionally for 27 years. He lives in Savannah, where he performs locally, and is the co producer and host of the “Green Island Radio Show” for Georgia Public Broadcasting. The show will be presented in the Colleen O. Williams Theatre, 105 E. Athens Street, Winder. There will be an intermission and refreshments and CDs from the artists available to purchase. Tickets are $15 a person and are available at the Winder City Hall, 45 E. Athens Street, Winder. For credit card purchases, call 770-867-3106. Two holiday blood drives planned in area The American Red Cross is holding two upcoming area blood drives. A blood drive will be held at Wrigley’s, Inc., Flowery Branch, Friday, Nov. 30, from 12:30-2:30 p.m. The plant is located at 4500 Atlanta Highway. Also, a blood drive will be held at Mill Creek High School, Hoschton, on Monday, Dec. 3, from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The school is located at 4400 Braselton Highway (Hwy. 124). As part of the Red Cross’ Thanks for Giving promotion, donors who come to give blood between now and Nov. 30 will be able to enter a draw ing for two Delta roundtrip domestic tickets. For more information, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (448-3543) or visit www.redcrossblood.org. JL : ■ ■ STOVER WINS GEORGIA TECH BLANKET RAFFLE David Stover is shown receiving his Georgia Tech blanket from Robbie Bettis, organizer of the Braselton Antique and Holiday Festival. The raffle was sponsored by the Friends of the Braselton- West Jackson Library and all proceeds will be used to buy books for the library. Gallery of Trees to benefit heart association The Braselton Antique Mall is holding its Gallery of Trees through Sunday, Nov. 18. A $2 donation to enter the Gallery of Trees is request ed. Donations will benefit the Brooks and Buddies team for the American Heart Association. The Gallery of Trees is being held on the third floor of the store, which features 30 large and small trees. Christmas music is featured and “Mr. and Mrs. Snowman” sings to guests. The trees have themes, such as bears climbing a pine tree, dolls visiting a Victorian tree and foreign ornaments adorning an international tree. Guests can find trees with fruit, elves, penguins, fairies and even miniature Loony Tunes. Special ornaments include the Town of Braselton balls and rep licas of the Hoschton Depot. A Christmas village, wreaths, snow globes, reindeer, stuffed snowmen and more all are for sale. When guests finish the maze of trees at the store, they can vote for their favorite tree. The huge Christmas tree outside of the Braselton Antique Mall was donated by the Braselton Rotary Club. The Braselton Antique Mall is located at the intersection of Ga. Hwy. 124 and Ga. Hwy. 53 in downtown Braselton. Gainesville State College topic for WIB Pat Guthrie, CEO of the Gainesville State College Foundation, presented the program at the October 17 meeting of the Women in Business. The meeting was held at the Community Bank and Trust in Jefferson. Guthrie began by giving some general information about Gainesville State College, including the fact that Jackson County is one of the largest “feeder” counties in terms of numbers of students who attend Gainesville State. Forty percent of the students attending Gainesville State are the first in their fami lies to go to college, and 85 percent will go on and get a four-year degree, she said. Guthrie’s job is to ensure that everyone who desires to can attend Gainesville State. As a result of the foundation’s fund-raising efforts in 2006 a total of $425,000 was awarded in scholarships. POWER FOR WOMEN Guthrie also spoke about power for women, stating that power is gained by making powerful choices. Our thoughts are our personal energy, she said, act ing like magnets to attract to us what we think about. Desiring a certain goal entails thinking positively about the result and taking positive steps to make that goal a reality. Guthrie spoke about the three elements of the “Law of Attraction” that make it different from wishful thinking or “positive thinking:” 1) Think and declare what you want; 2) Believe it; 3) Take Action - tell others/create vision board/cre ate higher intention around it and read every day. Achieving goals also means that women should not “burn out,” and learn to take time for themselves, reacquainting the quiet inner self, Guthrie explained. She then led the group through a guided relaxation technique, focusing on centering, breathing and reconnection with the inner wisdom. The meeting was adjourned with chairwomen Dee Lavender and Rita Hilton thanking Bonnie Jones of Jackson EMC for providing lunch and for sponsoring the program. The next meeting of WIB is set for November 28 at Community Bank and Trust in Jefferson. ‘A Hometown Christmas’ show ahead in Winder The Winder-Barrow Community Theatre will hold its Christmas variety show, “A Hometown Christmas,” on Saturday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 2, at 3 p.m. The show will be presented at the Colleen Williams Theatre, Winder. The event will feature songs and scenes of the season presented by children and adults and will include refreshments and free pho tos with Santa. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children and students. Purchasing tickets in advance is requested, due to limited seating. Tickets are on sale at Pam Veader’s State Farm Insurance Office, located at 41 S. Center Street, Winder, or by calling 770-867-1679. To purchase tickets by credit card, call the Winder City Hall at 770-867-3106. Celebrating 25 years of service to the Gwinnett Community Shiilmdcr K. P«vipnri MD ■ Krl-hn I ht-ni MD ■ l:iy R Dcsoi MR J 'unli H. 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