Georgia Magazine - January 2014 - (Page 40)

Many happy returns Courtesy LoCh LaureL Nursery Enjoy year after year of winter color By PamEla a. KEEnE I WaLter reeVes 'Early Autumn' camellia's formal double blooms can be brought indoors and floated in a shallow water-filled bowl. Daphne's clusters of blossoms fill the winter air with a sweet fragrance. placing it outside until about 10 weeks before you want it to turn red again for the holidays. "Treat it like an annual in the spring, summer and early fall, then give it 10 weeks of complete darkness, and the bracts will turn red again. Just put it in a closet and forget about it for those 10 weeks [occasionally watering], and you'll be rewarded with a plant that can brighten your home next season." Courtesy of Mary WeNger t may be cold and dreary outside, but you can brighten up your home and yard with some very pretty winter-blooming plants. From the ever-popular poinsettia to the elegant Southern camellia, adorn your surroundings with natural beauty that can come back year after year. "Many people either purchase or receive poinsettias as gifts, but when the color is gone, they just throw them out," says Joe Lamp'l, the popular Atlanta-based, national gardening television host known as Joe Gardener. His "Growing a Greener World" garden show is viewed across the country, and his website is filled with year-round tips and articles about gardening. "It's fairly easy to turn a poinsettia red again for next year by following a couple of simple steps," says Lamp'l. Once the poinsettia begins to fade, Lamp'l recommends keeping the plant indoors until warmer weather, then trimming it back and Grower Mary Wenger, of Gainesville, cultivates hellebores, also known as "Lenten roses." 40 More online at www.georgiamagazine.org Indoor blooms can also come from forcing bulbs, such as paperwhite narcissus, amaryllis or daffodils. "It usually takes about four to six weeks for them to blossom by simply placing the root sides of the bulbs in touch with water in a shallow, rockfilled bowl in a bright, sunny space," Lamp'l says. "Once they've bloomed, and the cold weather is gone, move them outside under a tree for the warmer months. When the weather turns colder again, trim back the leaves, bring them inside to a bright location, keep slightly moist, and you should have blooms." The ever-popular Christmas cactus is a durable succulent that enjoys the warm temperatures of summer outdoors under a tree. With regular watering and protection from the cold-bring it back inside-it sets buds based on the ratio of darkness to light. "Christmas cactuses need 12 hours of darkness to produce blooms, so you can keep it in a sunroom that's not used at night or somewhere that it will receive 12 or more hours of darkness with no artificial light," says Lamp'l. Winter is also an excellent time for garden planning. "My mantra is that I'm huge on planning," he says. "If you're getting cabin fever during the winter, plan your spring garden from the views out of your windows. Draw diagrams, search the Internet and browse through seed catalogs so that when spring arrives, you'll be ready. Use the time to research plants GEORGIA MAGAZINE http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - January 2014

Georgia Magazine - January 2014
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Liberty Notes
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar of Events
Currents
Georgia’s Energy Outlook
Crossing the Line
Meet the Long Family
The Washington Youth Tour
Tips for College Freshmen
Around Georgia
Georgia Gardens
Georgia Cooks
My Georgia
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - January 2014