Holidays Under Glass

Belle Isle Conservatory show room

I live near two beautiful conservatories and I make sure to visit during the Christmas season. They never fail to come through with amazing holiday plants and displays. 
The first pictures are from the Belle Isle Conservatory. This island is in the middle of the Detroit River and is undergoing a major renovation as it is now being run as a state park. 
The conservatory is also under new management and is looking better than ever. I love this pastel scene in the show house.

Poinsettias and cyclamen look beautiful together

The next conservatory is at the Matthaei Botanical Garden in Ann Arbor. I was there yesterday for the meeting of the Michigan Cactus and Succulent Society and had about 30 minutes to run through the conservatory.

They had two beautifully decorated Christmas trees.

The first thing I noticed (other than the Christmas tree) was the strong aroma of paper whites. It wasn't too overpowering, though, as the conservatory is big enough to handle it. In a small area, they can be a little overwhelming. If I have them in the house, I usually get asked nicely to move them out of the room.

An arrangement including paper whites, Caladiums, Euphorbia, and ivy.

Love this gorgeous white poinsettia tree.

I can't remember if this ivy wreath was there before, but it looks great dressed up for Christmas. Think about decorating your houseplants for the holidays. A bow or holiday pick is all you need to make your houseplant "merry"!

Of course, the holiday conservatory wouldn't be complete without a liberal amount of poinsettias added to the planting beds for some gorgeous color.

In the desert room, they had a beautiful succulent tree with a fairy and a blooming tillandsia to top it off.

The following pictures were taken through a kaleidoscope they have set up. It is a big bowl that they set the plants in and then a rounded piece of metal with two kaleidoscopes mounted on it are above the plants. The plants are changed out for the seasons and at this time it has poinsettias and an ornamental grass or sedge in it. I just put my camera right up to the eye piece and I love the pictures.

If poinsettias aren't your thing, there are always beautiful flowering plants to see, such as the ones below.

Cattleya orchid

Camellia

Euphorbia milii or Crown of Thorns

Helliconia

Take time to visit a conservatory near you during the holidays. Most botanical gardens have very nice gift shops. I picked out a few Christmas gifts,  and the profits help support the garden.

Poinsettias are Not Blase!

Who says poinsettias are blase? Well, a lot of people actually. I was one of those people, but have become a huge fan. Huge!
 I love them on antique postcards.......

 

on doilies....

My Mom made this beautiful doily for me.

on pillowcases.....

My Grandma Eldred embroidered this.

as Christmas ornaments....

on clocks.....

If it didn't say Christmas it would stay up all year.

on fabric....

This is the fabric I used to make my dining room table cloth.

 and antique handkerchiefs.....

  
 on wrapping paper......

and most especially on this antique picture my friend bought me. I love it!!!

Antique poinsettia print.

 Oh. Don't forget the candle holders.

   

 And those are just the non-living kind. We haven't even talked about the living poinsettias yet.
 They previously only came in red, white, and pink. But now, they are speckled, spotted, purple, blue, orange, and teal, just to mention a few.

A plethora of poinsettias.

Painted and glittered. I think they went a little crazy.....

 Living poinsettias are used to decorate all kinds of things including this beautiful cart at the Belle Isle Conservatory in Detroit, as well as this tree of poinsettias.

Belle Isle Conservatory

 

Pretty much, I love them on everything, no matter what it is. And if they are so blase, why are they the top selling flowering potted plant in America? 
So where did poinsettias, Euphorbia pulcherrima, come from? How did they become such an icon of Christmas? 
It all began in 1820's when the first United States Ambassador to Mexico,  southern plantation owner and botanist, Joel Robert Poinsett came upon this beautiful wildflower. He sent cuttings back to his greenhouse in South Carolina, and the rest is history. Who wouldn't love a brilliant red potted plant at Christmas time?

Some interesting facts about poinsettias.- Poinsettias are the #1 flowering potted plant sold in America, with over $250 million dollars in sales annually. Women make up 80% of the sales. Red is the #1 color , followed by white, and pink.  They are not poisonous, contrary to popular belief. National Poinsettia Day is December 12, to honor the day Joel Poinsett died in 1851.
Poinsettias have come a long way since the day Joel Poinsett discovered them and sent them to America. I wonder if he would even recognize the beautiful, compact, colorful plants that we have today. I think the painted orange, purple, and blue ones would blow him out of the water. They have an interesting history in America, and I hope you look at them a little differently now and next year decide to purchase one (or two or three) for your home during the holidays.