“TOwe would be available well few expressions of happiness if we didn’t know the flower» wrote the poet Maurice Maeterlinck, passionate naturalist and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1911. Who can blame him? Winter is the stingiest season in blooms, and it is also the time of the year when we would like mother nature to celebrate with us, filling the house with colors in December. Waiting for spring, we can plan a flowery Christmas thanks to plants that come from other climates, which guarantee us pretty leaf colors and corollas, easy to find and simple to care for. You probably already know many of them, but there are new varieties to discover.
A flowery Christmas
We will do it with the help of Davide Michelinigraduated from the Minoprio School, horticulturalist and owner of the Floriculture Vivai Michelini in Borghetto Santo Spirito (Savona) but also gardenist and vice-president of theItalian Association of Gardening Centers (Aicg), therefore expert in all the news that can be found on the market.
Its heart-shaped red flowers convey a romantic message and are good luck charms. AND Anthurium andreanum, classic houseplant from Central and South America. «Focus on the most original colors: the bracts, which are leaves transformed into flowers, are also found in shaded pink, light pink, white, orange tones” explains Michelini. «The pale pink of the Royal Pink Champion variety is elegant».
And the blue flowers you see at florists? «They are obtained by irrigating some varieties with a bluish dye, as happens with Phalaenopsis orchids and roses. Even if the substance used is natural, I prefer hybrids. If we choose blue flowers, remember that they are created starting from the white Anthurium, and when the plant later produces new flowers, they will be white.” Pay attention to watering: in winter once a week is enough.
A riot of orchids
The winter period also combines the flowering of various orchids. Apart from all the Phalaenopsis, which can flower at any time of the year, you can also focus on Cymbidium. «It is an easy and robust orchid, which resists outdoors up to 5 degrees. At home it offers blooms ranging from yellow to gold, from pink to red. It should be wet but not too much, placed in the light but not in direct sun.”
An orchid that amazes is the Vanda: it does not need soil but can be hung leaving the aerial roots free, which can thus absorb humidity from the air. It is watered once a week in winter, spraying the roots and letting the water drip. A true queen is there Vanda Coerulea, or blue orchid, with absolutely natural blue and purple tones. It is not difficult to find and is also affordable Oncidium, called ballerina orchid due to the shape of its inflorescence, with yellow, garnet, amaranth and even brindle colours, some also scented. Like Cymbidium, it loves light but not sun, the soil must never dry out but irrigation must be sparing. «It is easy to grow Cambria, obtained by crossing different genera. The flowers can be of various colours, brindle or speckled, often scented” adds Michelini. Golden rule for all orchids: never leave stagnant water in the saucers and the air in our apartment must never be too dry.
A Cyclamen, classic winter flowering.
They look like flowers, but they are leaves
Among the Christmas blossoms, theEuphorbia pulcherrimaalso known as Poinsettia or Christmas Star. As in the case of Anthurium, here too we are faced with a plant that has colored some leaves, going from green to red. The flower is actually located in the center and is very small, while these bright false petals are entrusted with the task of attracting pollinating insects. «Among the new varieties, the Glitter it has red bracts spotted with white” explains Michelini.
«It’s also original Picassowith shaded “petals” ranging from white to salmon, and the Ice Punch and Ice Crystal, characterized by a red bract that fades to white starting from the edge towards the center”. An interesting novelty from Dutch hybridizers is the Princettia, a poinsettia in various colors (red, pink, white), more compact, with smaller but richer bracts. «It has an earlier flowering, which begins as early as the end of November. Like the Poinsettia, it should only be watered when the soil in the pot is dry. Princettia has the advantage of being less delicate in terms of temperatures.” If treated well, both of these euphorbias, which are perennials, will rebloom the following year.
The little plant loved by grandmothers is back in fashion
In a period of the year in which native plants do not flower, among the flowering tropical plants a plant to be reevaluated is theEuphorbia milii, or Christ’s thorn, originally from Madagascar and also loved by our grandmothers. As for the flowers, red is the best known color, but they can also be white, yellow, pink. «It is a resistant and easy plant: it wants a bright environment and it needs to be watered rarely, but abundantly when the soil is completely dry. A particular variety is theEuphorbia milii x Lomi, with large flowers that are yellow as soon as they bloom and become pink as time passes.” A succulent also for black thumbs is the Schlumbergeracoming from Brazil, where it is loved by hummingbirds.
The Schlumbergera, (Christmas cactus) succulent from Brazil.
In garden centers it can be found under the commercial name Christmas cactus because it blooms precisely in December, with a small colored cascade of fuchsia, or red, yellow, orange. As with euphorbia, it should be watered when the soil is dry and placed in light, but not in direct sun. «A tropical one with showy, clustered winter flowering is the Magnificent Medinilla, a robust perennial plant with a sarmentose habit, that is, with long, drooping branches” adds Michelini. «Don’t overdo it with water. If you buy it in flower, be careful when transporting it: the branches carrying the flower racemes are very delicate.”
Blooms that make a sensation
A scenographic bulbous plant is theHippeastrum (mistakenly called Amarylllis). «You can buy the bulb in a pot and bring it to flower at home. It is exciting to see this enormous flower, which can reach 20 centimeters, open, a pleasant experience even for children.” L’Hippeastrum vittatum it is bicoloured, with red petals streaked with white, or vice versa, but the monochrome white, orange and red flowers are also elegant. A rich flowering is also offered by the Crossandra, a perennial herbaceous plant whose inflorescences continue even into the winter months. There Fortuna variety with orange flowers it gives a boost of energy in the cold months.
Among the winter blooms, the classic cannot be forgotten Cyclamen. «A fragrant variety is Crayon. The most fashionable one is the Djixwith a striking white and red flower, while the Blush, pinkish white, changes color with the temperature, becoming increasingly pink if the cold increases.” For green thumbs who love challenges, more difficult plants are there Tillandsia cyanea, which produces a deep pink spatula of sepals, from which three-petalled purple flowers then bloom.
And the Turmeric, with splendid pink flowers with darker petal tips. Even plants that do not have winter flowering but have particular foliage can give a touch of color. As the Calathea Triostar with very lively leaves, green and white zebra-striped on the upper side, reddish on the lower side. The Tradescantia boast spectacular varieties, such as JewelRed with variegated leaves in green, white and purple: their drooping shape makes them perfect to place on a shelf, to create a highly decorative waterfall.
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