🎁 Where are MY presents?

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." - Charles Dickens

🐈📸 Cat Bob waiting for his Christmas Dinner at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden

#PeopleCats #Quotes

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

🎁 Cats waiting in line to use their Christmas present, watch who wins at the end!

🐈📸 Cats: James Coconuts, Niki, Timo, Bob, and Scooby are competing (impatiently!) to try their new scratching board at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden. Guess who wins?

#PeopleCats

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

🎄 Do not throw out your poinsettia - 4 simple tips how to keep it alive for next Christmas

Poinsettias - Euphorbia_pulcherrima - are tender perennials, not one-season plants. After the holidays they naturally fade, rest, and regroup. With a few simple care tweaks, a healthy plant can live all year and rebloom next winter.

🎄 1. Let it rest after the holidays

✦ Flowering ends naturally - faded bracts and some leaf drop are normal.
✦ Prune when bracts fall: cut stems back by 1/3 to 1/2, leaving 4-5 inches.
✦ Wear gloves - the sap can irritate skin.
✦ Move to a cooler, bright spot for 4-6 weeks.
✦ Ideal temp: 55-60°F
✦ Reduce watering.
✦ Water only when the top 2 inches of soil are dry.
✦ Avoid soggy soil.

🎄 2. Repot in late spring

✦ New growth usually starts in late spring.
✦ Repot at this stage to refresh nutrients and give roots space.
✦ Use a well-draining, slightly acidic potting mix.
✦ Choose a pot only slightly larger, with drainage holes.
✦ Loosen roots gently and remove old compacted soil.
✦ Water lightly, then place in a bright, warm spot.
✦ Resume regular watering and light feeding through spring and summer.

🎄 3. Adjust care during the growing season

✦ Increase temperature gradually to 64-68°F.
✦ Water more often once growth resumes.
✦ Wilted or curling leaves signal thirst.
✦ Water thoroughly and evenly.
✦ Bright light is key, but avoid harsh direct sun.
✦ Use sheer curtains or a grow light if needed.
✦ Fertilize periodically with a balanced houseplant fertilizer.
✦ Pinch back new shoots in late spring for a fuller, bushier plant.

🎄 4. Preparing for winter color

✦ In fall, poinsettias need long nights to bloom.
✦ Provide 12-14 hours of complete darkness nightly for 6-8 weeks.
✦ This triggers colorful bracts in time for the holidays.

❓ Quick FAQ

Can it go outside?
Yes, in warm months only. Bring it indoors before temps drop below 50°F.

Winter outdoors?
No - poinsettias are cold-sensitive and must stay inside.

🎄 Poinsettias don't die after Christmas - they just take a nap. Give them rest, light, and patience, and they will reward you next year.

✍️ Expert reference: Homes and Gardens

🛒 Explore plants for containers

📚 Learn more:

Poinsettia - Euphorbia_pulcherrima in Plant Encyclopedia
Can Poinsettia grow for years? 5 most common mistakes with new container plants

#How_to #Container_Garden

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

🎄 Merry Christmas!

"At Christmas, all roads lead home." - Marjorie Holmes

🐈📸 Philemon the Cat waiting for the magic at TopTropicals Christmas Tree - PeopleCats.Garden.

#PeopleCats

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

🌸 I wait all year for this vine to bloom!

It's this time of the year when beautiful Tecomanthe is opening her majestic blooms!
The New Guinea Creeper (Tecomanthe dendrophila) is a stunning, non-aggressive vine that will captivate with its vibrant blooms and lush foliage.

🌸 New Guinea Creeper, Tecomanthe dendrophila, is one of those plants that changes the whole garden when it blooms. Winter doesn’t have to be boring! In early winter through spring, it covers itself in large trumpet-shaped flowers with deep pink tubes and creamy white tips. The display lasts weeks, not days!

🌸 Unlike many flowering vines, this one is well-behaved. It climbs without taking over, stays glossy and evergreen year-round, and works beautifully on trellises, arbors, or strong supports. Butterflies love it, and people always stop to ask what it is.

🌸 A true winter show stopper for warm climates or containers!

🛒 Your garden needs New Guinea Creeper

📚 Learn more:

Tecomanthe dendrophila in Plant Encyclopedia
How to grow New Guinea Creeper Tecomanthe

#Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_Plants

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals