Poinsettia Wreath

Poinsettia Wreath

This was probably one of the best uses of Poinsettias I have witnessed. A really amazing sight. At first I wanted to rush over and see how it was done but pulled back and was happy just to gaze on it. Its magical secret construction remained a mystery. Christmas wreaths have a long tradition steeped in history. Since they don’t have a beginning or an end they are considered eternal.

For my own personal experience I remember my parent’s nursery making several hundred wreaths per season. As a very young man I would make excursions out into the woods for things like bittersweet berries, pine cones and evergreen cuttings as early as October. I got a small piece of the action for my efforts. We would also buy boxes of Fir, Holly and Pine clippings and set up a kind of assembly line. All the wreaths were handmade and sold out each year.

Just to finish off the year with a flower here is a nice kind of perennial/wildflower. It is a very spirited little plant that is underused.

Roadside Toadflax

Linaria aeruginea 'Neon Lights'

(lin-AR-ee-uh) (air-oo-GIN-ee-uh)

This plant is nice for alpine and rock gardens. In the border it needs to be planted heavily and can then hold its own. ‘Neon Lights’ comes as a color mix although this patch had all the same color flowers. It likes full sun and has low water requirements. Upon close inspection the flowers look a lot like baby snapdragons.

Just a note to say Happy New Year to everyone visiting this blog. According to Blogger there were 351 posts here this year (the same as 2009) and I kind of felt guilty taking off the 14 days. This site should be going over one million page views in the upcoming year. What’s the old phrase, “If I had a dollar for every time……” . Thank you for your continued support.

“Another fresh new year is here . . .

Another year to live!

To banish worry, doubt, and fear,

To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me

To live each day with zest . . .

To daily grow and try to be

My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity

Once more to right some wrongs,

To pray for peace, to plant a tree,

And sing more joyful songs!”

William Arthur Ward