Tag Archives: Floral Care

We can now take Gerberas outdoors all season!

Garvinea Sweet Glow - Florist Holland

Canada Blooms is pleased to announce that it has chosen the ‘Garvinea Sweet’ series of gerberas as its 2016 plant of the year.
Gerberas, the longtime favourite houseplant and cut-flower for Canadians, are now available in the outdoors friendly ‘Garvinea Sweet’ series from Florist Holland, especially suited for outdoor use in both containers and the gardens.
Intensive plant breeding , interspecific hybridization and tissue culture propagation have combined to make the ‘Garvinea Sweets’ a reliable garden performer in the spring, summer and fall with increased disease tolerance, cold tolerance and an excellent rebloom habit.
Proven locally at the University of Guelph trial garden program during the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons, ‘Garvinea Sweets’ were grown in containers at 2 different sites as well as in 3 different ground bed sites under a wide range of watering and fertilizer regimes. As long as the soil was well- drained these plants thrived and bloomed continuously from planting time until winter arrived. As a fringe benefit, the flower stem length on the Garvinea is long enough to allow use as a cut flower in the home.
You can get a head start on buying these beautiful ‘Garvinea Sweets’ at Canada Blooms in March 2016. The following ‘Garvinea Sweet’ selections will be available for purchase at Canada Blooms: Sweet Glow(orange), Sweet Heart (pink), Sweet Honey (golden yellow), Sweet Smile (yellow), and Sweet Surprise (pink-violet).

Picture courtesy of Florist Holland: Garvinea Sweet Glow

Taking Care of Your Poinsettia

Picture of Poinsettia

In Canada, poinsettia are the most popular of all Christmas houseplants. Millions of poinsettia are purchased each year during the Christmas season by people who enjoy the colour and warmth they provide to the home. Proper selection will help to ensure a long lasting plant that you will enjoy throughout the Christmas and winter months.

With proper care, your poinsettia will last through the holiday season and right into late winter.

Pay close attention to the following tips:

  • Place in a room where there is bright natural light but not where the sun will shine directly on the plant.
  • Keep the plant away from locations where it will receive hot or cold draughts.
  • Place the plant high enough to be out of reach of unmonitored children and pets.
  • Set the plant in a water-proof container to protect your furniture.
  • Water the plant thoroughly when the soil surface is dry to the touch. Discard any excess water which remains in the saucer after 10 minutes.
  • The bright colour of the bracts will remain longer if temperatures do not exceed 22°C.

Reflowering your poinsettia
If you cannot bear to throw your poinsettia out when it is finished providing colour, you may want to try your hand at reflowering your poinsettia next year.

  • December            Full bloom. Water as needed.
  • April                       Colour fades. Keep near sunny window and fertilize when new
    growth appears. Cut back stems to about 20 cm.
  • June 1                   Repot if necessary. Fertilize with a balanced formula 20-20-20.
    Continue to water when dry to touch. Move outside if temperatures
    do not fall below 10°C. Place in light shade.
  • Late August       Take inside. Cut stems back, leaving three or four leaves per shoot.
    Sunny window. Water and fertilize as needed.
  • Sept 20 -Dec 1  Keep in light only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Put in dark (NO
    LIGHTS) 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Remember the key to success: Follow the strict light/dark instructions carefully.

— By Landscape Ontario: landscapeontario.com/home-care-tips-for-your-poinsettia

Picture from www.pasco.com