Poinsettia still pretty thanks to Dave's

I was leaving town for the holidays and wondered how to keep my poinsettia alive. I believe there was an article about them in Dave's newsletter. Anyway, it said that they had to be kept moist at all times but not sitting in water. I decided to try putting it in a self-watering violet pot. It's worked great! It's still pretty and would be even more so if the dogs would quit crashing into it! Thought I'd share this tip b/c I just love these self-watering pots with my violets. It's changed them from sometimes troublesome puny things to huge, constantly flowering works of art.

Elphaba: That Poinsettia is absolutely stunning! And, you say you grow Violets? Would love to see photo's of some of your violets too! Why not post a couple of pic's over here on this thread we have going on the African Violet forum: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/820891/

Plantlady, I just took your advice. I posted a picture of the violets that I have on the kitchen table because I couldn't pick just one! Well, here's one just for you that I have with some orchids. This one is not in a self-watering pot and you can tell that it's not as happy. It has a strep-whatever-you-called-it growing with it. It's over a watering can, so I water a lot and just let it run through to the watering can below.

Hi Elphaba! I saw your photo on the AV forum! You have some great looking plants! That purple violet in your above photo is a pretty one also. A lot of folks on the AV forum grow Strep's too but I have had no luck with them. I can't seem to keep one alive for more than a week! I see you grow orchids too. Is that an orchid in the top right of your photo, in the white pot? I have about a dozen orchids ... I just had to bring them all back inside because it's supposed to be 38 degrees here tonight! Unusually cold for us this time of year! It was 83 yesterday and today is windy and only in the low 60's. I guess ole man winter isn't quite finished yet!

I love iron/wrought iron furniture and that is a really nice plant stand you have there. "Mr. Froggy" is soo cute!

Thanks! It's nice to share with someone who obviously has very good taste in plants, furniture and Froggies! The white pot is an orchid. It was a Lowe's rescue, but I wasn't in time to save the bud. It looked OK when I bought it but the bud shriveled up. They keep them inside and never water them. Of course, Home Depot waters them, but has them in plastic with no drainage. I can't complain too much though because it's nice to have more affordable orchids. That Lowe's rescue has had some nice growth since then though, so it will be all right. I should put it in a nicer pot. I think the price tag is still stuck on the other side of that pot!

I know exactly what you are talking about with the dramatic weather changes. I left for Thanksgiving and left all my outdoor orchids outside. It didn't freeze but temps were in the upper 30's and low 40's for at least two days. They all suffered and one that was blooming died. I was so upset. I brought almost all of them inside and they've been spending the winter indoors. I have a vanilla orchid that is in a big ugly thing I made for it. I've been dragging it in and out. It's inside now because we're having the same freaky cold weather. It dropped from 73 to 53 in an hour.

I wish our Lowe's and HD would put orchids on their clearance tables but I have never ever found one - only plants I find on clearance racks there are annuals. Neither of them take good care of their plants at all. Home Depot's plants always are extremely dry, it's as if they never water them, and our Lowe's always has plants literally floating in water!

I've moved all of my orchids and hoyas indoors and will be covering everything else out on my deck and porch with old sheets and blankets later this afternoon. I have a little teeny vanilla orchid that I received in a trade with another DG'er a couple of months ago. I potted it in a little teeny pot and sat the pot down in a 10 gal terrarium and it seems to be surviving so far. I think I read that they are slow growing but I hope it takes on some new growth this season!

Now I'm heading out to fill all the bird feeders! You have a great afternoon and rest of the weekend! I look forward to seeing more of your photo's!

Elphaba,

Love your set up with the AV and orchids! But what is that petrified donut looking thing to the left of the AV?

Thanks Machikoneko. It's a rock I found on the ranch that my great grandparents homesteaded in South Dakota. I put little rock eggs in it b/c I thought it looked like a nest. I put another one where the hole goes all the way through next to it, so you could see it.

Too cool! Thanks for the picture!

Marsha.