Think flowering plants when planning Christmas gifts
WE'RE sure there are still many folk who have not finished their Christmas shopping list yet, so you may appreciate some of these suggestions.
It has been a long standing tradition to give flowers to loved ones for birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas, and how happy those lucky recipients have been to receive them.
We would like to suggest however, that a flowering plant is an even better gift, as they can last for many months or years, providing a wonderful lasting gift.
POINSETTIAS are one of the popular traditional flowering plants that everyone enjoys seeing, and these come in an enormous range of colours and sizes, with probably the more popular including rich pinks and soft to deep reds.
They are ideal for pot and tub planting, for bringing indoors for short periods, then hardening off again outdoors, or can be planted by the recipient in the garden to be enjoyed for years to come.
HYDRANGEAS are an all time favourite, and come in many shades of blue, pink and red, and of course white.
There are also different flower forms, some of which can be seen in the accompanying photo.
The blue shades suit our soil very well, as they are produced on plants growing in acid soil, while the pink shades suit alkaline soils, with whites and greens being unaffected by soil types.
So, if you choose a pink flowering plant, it is best to grow it in a tub or other large container, and use the appropriate soil to keep it that colour.
PEACE LILIES (Spathiphyllums) are very popular Christmas gifts, and being hardy, are ideal for anyone who feels they are not good at growing potted specimens.
They flower from early spring through summer and autumn, and in many instances well into winter, and thrive in well lit areas either as understorey plants, on patios, verandahs and indoors, and we believe they are considered some of the best office plants available.
FUCHSIAS have always been considered southerners' plants, due to their former reputation for being difficult to grow in this climate.
Now, thanks to a new generation of hybrid varieties that have been bred to be more sun and heat tolerant, they have become a 'must have' for garden lovers.
The Aussie Winners Shadow Dancer series contains a broad selection of upright or spreading and trailing varieties to suit many situations.
Couple one of these pretty flowering plants with an appropriate container, and you'll want to keep it yourself!
BROMELIADS of all kinds also make very welcome gifts, and the enormous range of these popular plants makes it easy to find some that suit almost any given situation - growing in trees, on tree trunks, beneath the canopy or in full sun, in pots, open garden, so all friends and family on the gift list can be catered for and well suited.
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