Penny Carnathan

Penny’s a Nurture And Hold (NAH): Nah, I won’t pull that out yet, it’s still got a green shoot. She likes dragonflies, lady bugs and new stuff only after weeding, pruning and fertilizing.

Kim Franke-Folstad

Kim’s a Want It Now (WIN): Everything pretty, everything now. She will resort to full-spectrum insecticides in desperate situations, and believes it’s her duty and right to buy new plants every weekend.

Both advocate Plant Choice (SOMEthing besides crotons. Please!), lots of color and low maintenance. We don’t agree on everything, but we’re smart enough to learn from each other - and from you.

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I’m not pining for poinsettias—I’ve got plenty of Christmas color!

Posted Dec 16, 2009 by Loren Omoto

Updated Dec 16, 2009 at 06:42 PM

Don’t get me wrong, I have had my poinsettia phases. Repeat seasons of the traditional bright red bracts. Flirtations with novelty mauves and bi-colors. But I’m in a maverick phase now and the sight of rows and rows of red poinsettias at garden centers makes me ... yawn.

I think my big sun-burned flapjacks, Kalanchoe thyrsiflora , by the mailbox screams Christmas.

And, having attempted to plant my potted poinsettias in the ground for year-round enjoyment, I can tell you flapjacks are a WHOLE lot easier. My poinsettias always last several months then boom, deader than the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Likewise, for easy-to-grow, Echeveria Perle von Nurnberg, another succulent that glows red (like Rudolph’s nose) the more sun it gets.

These begonias were getting leggy and sad looking after the trauma of several months in hanging baskets. They’ve really taken to their new lives as ground-dwelling holiday color. I call it re-gifting.

My favorite, though, is jatropha, with its mitten-shaped leaves and indefatigable cheeriness. I cut small branches and pair them with mammy croton cuttings for Florida-style holiday arrangements in the house.

Jatropha flowers year-round, and can be trained as a small tree or a shrub. This one looked like a total goner after the freezes last winter and I actually dug it up and tossed it.

Look who’s back!

If you’ve got holiday plants—traditional or not—to share, send photos to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Be sure to add a little info about what they like and don’t like so we can all learn a thing or two.

Janice-Pumpkin, I do believe you promised me Christmas garden photos about two weeks ago!