Poinsettias and patience

Poinsettias and patience

Hello there!
Thanks for stopping by.
Friday’s blog a private peek, so today I thought I’d
show you something pretty impressive…
Remember ages ago – must have been just after Christmas – 
we had the discussion about our poinsettias. 
which had mostly shed their leaves, leaving rather barren looking sticks. Look familiar?

Well, the question was whether we binned it, or put up with its sad-looking state, to see if it might turn the corner if we gave it light and water. Many of you shouted BIN IT! 
But I felt that was a little cruel, had a tender moment and even gave the sticks in a pot a prime spot on the kitchen window sill. (This was primarily so that I would remember to look after it). 

A couple of months later, in April, we were impressed.

What a little sun and water can do, eh!

Well, the red disappeared, but the green flourished!
Here we are in October, and we have a veritable tree!

My little Garden Grace is well impressed.

So am I!

All we are waiting for now is the redness to happen.
But look how healthy it is!

Which just goes to show. 
I don’t even particularly like poinsettias, but I love this one! 
And this year, instead of buying the annual lasts-a-month one, 
I can give this loveliness pride of place for a second year.

Amazing what a little patience and nurturing can achieve.

I’m thinking of getting some car window stickers made:
“A Poinsettia is not just for Christmas”

I am happy to report that the little statue of Grace is still intact too. When we were having the garage built recently, one of the builders was running a hose through the garden, and I just happened to see that it was about to knock Grace off her seat under the ginkgo tree. I haven’t moved that fast since I set the school record for hurdles in the 70’s !

On Monday I fly to New York, to spend a few days with the real Grace. She is working hard in her acting career. She too has figured out that patience (mixed with kind and gentle determination) are essential in this mad mad mad world.  
Here she is in her first big-screening. Watch this space. 
Follow her on Twitter. Be the first to find out….

I
 cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to seeing that girl.

much love,

42 thoughts on “Poinsettias and patience

  1. Morning Barbara, do determination and TLC does pay off and what a wonderful specimen you have tended through the year!!!
    Ah the lovely Grace…..I bet she is just as excited as you too! She has her mothers grit and determination which you no doubt inherited from your mum!!!
    Much Love
    Kim

  2. Just shows what a bit of TLC and perseverance can do for you- both in plant life and daughter life!! Good luck to Grace, and have a great time visiting.

  3. Perseverance pays off! Your point-etcetera (as I called them as a child) needs 12 hours of darkness, 12 of light for the bracts to go red, so a bit of faffing about is called for

  4. Hello Barb, your poinsettia is beautiful, well done for persevering with it. Grace is lovely and I am sure she has inherited all her mothers drive and determination, so she will succeed. Hope you have a wonderful time with her. Have a great day. Bx

  5. Very well rescued, I'm sure your poinsettia will do you proud.

    How exciting for Grace, wishing her great success. Have a lovely visit, safe journey x

  6. Just shows what a bit of love can do for anything! Enjoy your visit with Grace you must miss her so much! Count my blessings every day that my 4 daughters decided to stay close to home x

  7. This Christmas my Mum's 2 poinsettias will be on their 3rd Christmas, we bought her a cream one and a red and thought we where loosing them a few times but they have picked up and kept flowering x

  8. What a lovely plant it's turned outdo lots water and light for our little friend so will have to try this. After Christmas when plant looks sad. What wonderful news of to de beautiful Grace I think this is the tonic the doctor ordered for you. I won't say enjoy your time with grace because I know it will be amazing , well we are all waiting on tender hooks for are eldest daughter Rebecca to have her baby having lots of twinges just text bad night with lots of pains hopefully today things will happen and we wil get to meet are new grandchild cannot wait for cuddles xxx

  9. Well done. Your patience, perseverance and caring has been rewarded with beauty. I think that you and your poinsettia have truly bonded with love. Really hope you get your red (not sure whether there are certain conditions for the red to develop) but it looks fab next to Little Grace. Glad you managed to rescue her!
    I'm glad that you're off to see Grace on Monday. .."Here come the Girls"…watch out New York! Expect there'll be some emotional hugs too. Looking forward to seeing Grace on the big screen…one more step along the road…
    Looking forward to Sunday's TV slot.
    Love Jeanette xx

  10. Hi Barb,
    Just shows what love, attention and patience can do. The plants certainly looks healthy. I've heard as others have mentioned, that it needs to go in the dark to encourage it to turn red ( someone suggested an airing cupboard) . Lovely photos of Grace – have a fantastic time with her in New York. Love Alison xxx

  11. Hi Barbara
    Oh I need one of your car stickers please. I feel so guilty now about all the sticks I have thrown away after Christmas. I promise I will look after them from now on (I can hear the mad woman and her sticks from my husband and daughter already!) . Yours looks really healthy so well done. Have a great weekend on TV and enjoy spending time with your beautiful daughter next week. Take care and safe travelling . Love Diane G xxxxx

  12. Your Poinsettia is looking very healthy. I think you have to cover the bracts to get them to turn red. Grace is looking really well and no doubt as excited as you that you'll be spending time with her next week. Looking forward to the show on Sunday. Have a lovely day xx

  13. Care for something and over time watch it blossom.
    Very true for both your lovely plant and beautiful daughter <3

    I am so glad you are going to see her!
    give her a squish from me,
    hope to see lots of pictures next week.
    Love you guys.
    Take care
    Annie & Dot xxxx

  14. Well done on reviving your poinsettia it looks really healthy now. I shall be interested to hear if the red returns I do hope so. Have a fabulous time with Grace you must be so excited. Our two girls are both planning on being home for Christmas soooo excited.
    The recorder is all set for Sunday
    Jackie x

  15. I am not convinced that the supermarkets don't have something to do with the dying poinsettia plants as they must make a fortune each year selling more to them that buy them . Afraid I don't and as any of my real friends know give me plants or flowers and I will either give them back or re-gift them as not keen on having things that no matter how hard I try I have to sit and watch die.
    Now my Gran would have rounded evey ones pots of twigs up and nurtured them back to life as you have but she had green fingers and the ethos it has two options – live or die . Now not much failed in her loving care !
    You have the Magic touch !

  16. Hi Barbara,

    I heard as well about people who put a cardboard box over the poinsettia in october and the next months. The trick is that they need 12 hours of full darkness a day and for christmas the red leaves should be there again. Don´t know if that works???

    Grace looks beautiful on the screen. I´m sure you cannot wait to meet her on monday…

    But before toi, toi, toi for your sunday Clarityshow. I will watch.

    Best wishes

    Rolf xxx

  17. Hey I once gave a "Grass" plant lots of TLC for a year till my Dad turned up for the second time that year and said "you do know that plant is dead don't you"?? I was gutted!!! I am really excited for Grace looking good, goawrn tell us what she is in gowarn G o w a r n
    GOWARN TELL US. !!!!! OK I will wait for the TWEET!!!! Have a nice day. xxx

  18. Well done with the poinsettia, you need to follow what some of the other comments suggest, and it will be beautiful for Christmas. Enjoy your time with Grace x

  19. Hi Barbara enjoy your time away with grace cannot believe how Christmas is nearly upon us again I remember you showing the sad pointsettia glad you kept it to flourish xxx

  20. Congratulations on your very robust looking Poinsettia; there is info on the rhs website about nursing them and the colouring. Since you say you don't usually like Poinsettias I now understand why I couldn't find one in Clarity's lovely stamp range.
    Enjoy your time with Grace. Family puts everything else into perspective.

  21. Hi Barb,
    Have a brilliant time with the lovely Grace, and enjoy your "mum and daughter" time.
    You poinsettia needs to be kept in the dark for 12 hours per 24 to turn the bracts red. Good luck,
    I'm not keen on orchids but people keep buying them as house plants for me. I don't even like house plants, I prefer plants to be in the garden. Anyway, my nieces bought me an orchid for my birthday two years ago last September, and it's still flowering!!
    Since then three other kind!!?? people have bought me them so it's like flipping Kew Gardens in here.
    See you Sunday on C&C, and safe journey to Grace xx.

  22. Well done you for rescuing the poinsettia – I have an orchid which I'm trying to bring back to life, but don't really have green fingers – not yet anyway, but I'm just about to go and play with the shaving foam, so maybe later this afternoon will be a different story!!! Very exciting news about Grace and your impending trip to NYC – I'm sure you'll have great fun, and wish her every success in her big screen debut, Susan x

  23. You wouldn't think that was the same plant with all that lush growth, and it just goes to show that perseverance wins the day. I think it is more difficult to get the red back in the bracts, but if it stays green it is still beautiful. I think the split between darkness and daylight is the way to go to get the red back, so good luck! I hope you have a great visit with Grace, and it's wonderful that her career is taking off now. x

  24. The poinsettia is lovely, not my favourite flower, but they are bright and cheerful at Christmas.
    Hopefully Grace will be on our screens soon, have a really good 'girly break' together.

  25. Well done with the Poinsettia. I think there is something to do with putting it in the dark to get the red leaves. Failing that of course you could resort to using your red acrylic paint. Grace looks amazing, enjoy your visit. I am out with my daughters and granddaughter tomorrow, just love their company. xx

  26. You will be smiling like a Cheshire Cat on Sunday then!!!! I bet Gracie is looking forward to seeing her mummy too!!!
    Looking forward to hearing about your trip! Love and hugs xxx

  27. Hi Barbara,
    We haven't "met" before though I do enjoy your blog very much. I knew a person who grew poinsettias commercially, and that' same challenge in the Southern Hemisphere for Christmas! They are winter plants and need a minimum of 14 hours of darkness to turn red. My friend had acres of blacked out sheds, or so it seemed. Given a little less sunshine, you should have red leaves for Christmas.
    Thanks again,
    Ros… In Oz.

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