Do you know that there are about 9 popular Christmas flowers that you can find them in the Nordic countries? Christmas is the time where we decorate the house with lots of Christmas decorations and last but not least, the
Christmas flower.
1. Poinsettias come in the traditional red, the lighter red and the pearl white. Thy are usually potted indoor plants and the best position for these plants is near the window.
In Norway and Denmark, Poinsettias is the most sold and popular Christmas flowering potted plants, annually about 6 millions. In the USA, it is the number one plant, with over 65 million plants sold nationwide in 2000.
Please find link for more information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poinsettia
Poinsettia is one of the traditional Christmas flowering plants which may last throughout the Christmas season. I have tried to re-flower the plant again for the next season, unfortunately I dare say, in the Nordic country, it is most impossible, unless you have a 'green house'. But it is possible in Australia, due to its sub-tropical climate. You will be surprised to find a poinsettia tree at neighbor's backyard!
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| picture from the Poinsettia Day |
A common sight of the Danish or rather the Nordic countries decorate their Christmas with lots of red colors: Photo OBP from viivilla.no
You have got to look at this link. The very first of its kind and it is in plum color.
The image is from:
File:Poinsettia, Christmas flower (Euphorbia pulcherrima) at Jayanti, Duars, West Bengal W Picture 443.jpg
Surprisingly, I have found this Poinsettia flower on the way to Rasah Kemayan, near Seremban 2. How beautiful. Deep bright red, they are always so pretty, warm and so welcoming..I might even consider to plant this in the near future.
2. Azaleas and Rhododendron are quite similar. The Azaleas is usually a indoor potted plant, it can also be a scrubs in the garden; and it does not grow big and tall. Azaleas always produces flowers one flower per stem. On the contrary with the Rhododendron, it can turn into big bushes, whereby, during the flowering season, it is totally covered with flowers. Azaleas and Rhododendron can be found in many astonish colors during the flowering season..
For more information : da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azalea
picture taken from: helsenorge.no
This is a jaw.dropping picture of a Azalea tree!! Wow, how beautiful..how I wish...(you know what, I do not think you can grow azaleas in Malaysia??)
This picture is taken from the site: cultivate garden & gift : Rhodos and Azaleas.
3. Amaryllis is one of my favorites..It is always a joy to receive a present of Amaryllis which usually came with only one stalk of Amaryllis cut flower, which is grown from one bulb pot! I recalled during Christmas in my early days in Denmark, a friend came with a single cut flower Amaryllis, beautiful red, very exotic, magnificent, elegant and impressive with its four huge, funnel shaped, stands very straight in a leafless stems..And I was told Amaryllis is forever popular and trendy flower by the named of "the four corners of the world'.
Amaryllis is a bulb plant, like the tulips. When we were in Sydney, a friend gave me a big bucket of Amaryllis bulbs..I was overjoyed.. and through this,
experienced it is not difficult to have Amaryllis to flower again after each year. Just like the tulips, after each season, you trim off the top of the remain- ding leaves; dig a hole to accommodate the size/amount of your many Amaryllis onions/bulbs. Then you bury them with top soil about 5cm.. All you need is loads of patience and care in order to have the same bulbs supplying you new flowers each year..
of
Pictures were taken from this site: -blackmilk.xf.cz
Can Amaryllis grown in Malaysia?? Anyone??
4. Hyacinth is very popular bulb flower during the winter months. They are planted in groups or individually in a bulb glass. All hyacinths smell, depending on the strength of the fragrance: weak, medium and strong. .
When buying hyacinth, you need to select one that is entirely green, with the knob being visible.
Hyacinth, just like tulips, amaryllis, they belongs to the bulbs/onions family.
Some avid gardeners have them at the back of their gardens, others, like me, get the selections from the shops. They are outdoor plants, and they are bought in as indoor plant especially during December as part of the Christmas traditions. They are available in a single hyacinth, grown from the bulbs glass or other containers. You can find them in pots, where they are grouped together.
This picture shows the process of the growth of hyacinth colorful plants in individual glass bulbs.
Picture taken from Karen Wagner garden & design
Before buying a hyacinth plant, you need to look for the green top like above
Picture taken from Attic24.
Ideal Christmas gift to the hostess. They are vibrant, colorful and extremely fragrant.
Picture taken from : www.dutchbulbs.co.uk
5. Alpefiol can be bought during the winter months in different sizes and color. Alpefiol can be an indoor plant where it prefers to be in the cooler place with no direct sunlight. I consider Alpefiol a very romantic winter flower, it is very gentle and feminine.
It is quite a hardy winter plant for indoor and it may survive throughout summer. I had one which lasted about three years, I remembered during winters, I consistently took it out so that it would not 'suffer' in the warm and dry radiated house during the winter nights.
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| This picture was taken from a Norwegian blog: hanneblomster.blogg.no. |
Another picture also from a Norwegian blog.
Another imagine from: OBP viivilla.no
6. November Cactus is also a overall favorite Christmas flower plant. This can be both in and out door plant. During the summers, the cactus looks like a evergreen plant where they should be kept outside the house, well under the shade ; so that it will not be burn by the strong sunlight. At this time of the year, it is the best time to give them plentiful of food.
This November Cactus plant could have been mine which looked almost the same size in the same pot! I had two then, not quite the same size, and I thought it would be nice to be near each other. Surprisingly, the one I have moved died shortly...What was the reason, I have no idea??
The picture was taken from www2.extension.umn.edu
But when November comes, it may look like this if you were lucky!
Picture from : ideanyt.dk
Picture taken from www.harthill.se
I think you can get November Cactus in Malaysia from the nurseries. But will they flower?? Anyone??
7. Christmas Begonia is very popular and a traditional Christmas flower plant in Denmark and Norway, where yearly has sold more than 150.000 pots respectively. The most popular color during the festive seasons are the white and the pink
They are easy to grow, best at 20 Celsius, needs plentiful of light and the soil has to be moist. They are many types and colors of Christmas Begonia.
Picture is taken from a nursery near our residence in Denmark: Plantorama
From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository
File: Begonia x tuberhybrida 1005White2.JPG
Again, found this picture from OBP, this is a new sort called Begonia 'Grace' The red color of the flower provides the Christmas atmosphere at home.
8. Afiican SaintPaulia is popular and an old tradition window box flower, especially in the Danish homes.
It is originated from East Africa and they come in velvet blue, purple, white and pink. Saint-Pauli
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are quite hardy and they tolerate warm temperature up to 27 Celsius.
9. Phalaenopsis Orchid is my all time favorite and I am sure for others too. Who could resist such a beauty. So elegant, at the bottom with only a few big oval shaped leaves, then the bare erected long stem [with a support of a pin], and all you find only a few 'designated' orchid on the top of the plant, phalaenopsis orchid flower..which can be found in variation of colors and shapes...
The beautiful phalaenopsis flower arrangement as seen below:
Photo:1800pookkal.com
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www.3florist.com
Phalaenopsis fuscata Rchb. : www.orchidspecies.com
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The Phalaenipsis is tropical plant and it is so easy to keep, they can bloom for months, and can be drowned with too much water than none. It is not good in the cold during winter, unless it is positioned on a window box above the radiator.
Well, that is about it and I hope you have enjoyed reading them.
