Sunday, November 19, 2006

WHAT WOULD POINSETT THINK?

Okay, I noticed these in WalMart the other day, and my friend the neophyte gardener tells me they're at Lowe's too. No, these are not plastic, but real poinsettia plants. I'm pretty sure I hate this blue poinsettia but there was another bunch that had been painted a kind of creamy gold-apricot with gold glitter on them. I had to hesitate over those before I told myself no and walked out the door. Are you cringing? Or have you already bought some of these? Apparently they've been painting poinsettias in Europe for some time, but not particularly for the retail trade. But suddenly these have caught on big in the U.S. and because they're about twice the price of a red poinsettia, greenhouse growers are overjoyed that they might finally make enough profit to offset the cost of rising energy prices.

I guess I'm not really a big fan of poinsetties, red or whatever color they get painted. In the past I've received those big three-foot tall ones as a company Christmas gift. I've watered and displayed them until the first trash day after the holiday when I set it out on the curb and watch to see who will get it before the trashman comes. Someone always does, so I don't feel quite so guilty.
I've tried to like poinsettias. One year I bought this variety that I think is called Jingle Bells. It's kind of a watermelon color and is that Christmas-y? On the other hand, it's been a long time since red and green were the only Christmas colors. And that's something else I read about the blue, lilac, apricot, and gold colors. "They're not your grandma's poinsettias." That's supposed to be the appeal of the new colors to a younger generation. So would you buy a blue or lilac poinsettia? Or would you prefer that Joel Poinsett not turn over in his grave? Am I going to buy a creamy gold-apricot one with gold glitter? Wait, I think my tree skirt is gold, that could work!

12 comments:

Carol Michel said...

That blue poinsetta is hideous. I wouldn't buy any painted poinsettas!

Clare and Mike said...

Hi, I wouldn't buy a blue one, real or otherwise! We always have a very 'traditional' red and green theme at Christmas - but no poinsettias - we have cats and this is one of many plants which are poisonous to them! Clare

Mary said...

Poinsettias? They are too messy. Who needs them? Never a blue one!

Diana LaMarre said...

WEll, now, hmmmmmmmmmmm. I do think that blue one is very pretty! I think I would buy them to coordinate with my color scheme. I rarely buy them because red does not fit in, but blue, gold, ............... yes, I think I would.

Anonymous said...

H m m m m ,
i'm not sure what to think.
First i scream
g a u d y !
but then, poinsettias have a gaudiness all theirown.

I'm like you. I love/hate them.
Oh well, to each his own.

Rusty in Miami said...

I don't even like the white, poinsettias are supposed to be red

Annie in Austin said...

This is a tough question, LostRoses~ Even the live poinsettias look fake - breeding has taken them far away from nature already, and given them such gigantic flowers for the size of the plant. So should we just revel in their artificial presence and use any color we want? Mine always seemed to last and hang on way past Christmas, into spring.
Hmmm - apricot and lilac? Maybe!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Boxwood Cottage said...

Ugh I think that artificial look is ugly, I have never seen that around here and I'm thankful for that lol

My Five Sons said...

I am sticking to the red ones as they are so natural adn a real Christmas flower,in fact I may induldge myself this year......

LostRoses said...

Thanks for all your comments! Annie, I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that even the red poinsettias look fake. I guess that's why I'm not having much trouble entertaining the thought of an apricot-colored one.

Carol, Mary, Becky, Rusty and Carol in Germany, yeah, the eek factor is pretty high, isn't it?

And Zoey, you wild child, why did I know you would like the blue one?

Clare, according to the AMA, poinsettias have no dangerous levels of toxicity. They claim it's an old wives tale circulated heavily years ago and has stayed in the common "knowledge" ever since. But like you, I never risked it when my plant-eating cat was still alive.

Silvia Hoefnagels . Salix Tree said...

I wouldn't buy a painted plant, that blue one looks so unhappy! Hmm.. I might just buy it and try to wash off the paint!! Poor plant.
I had a poinsetta years ago, but it had smaller pinky leaves, I thought it was kind of pretty. But it died a few months after Christmas, I guess they might be difficult to care for.

Anonymous said...

I always thought myself a purist, however, I've been looking high and low for blue poinsettias.....I am hosting a baby shower around Christmastime for a mom-to-be who is having a baby boy and guess what I'd like to use for table centerpieces?

I think they'll look wonderful!