Christmas flowers come in all shapes and sizes to bring a festive note to the places they adorn. These colorful flowers can be used in Christmas arrangements for a fireplace mantel or hearth, a table centerpiece, a wreath or any other Christmas decoration. Proper care of Christmas flowers and arrangements will ensure that they last through the holiday festivities and provide pleasure for you and your guests.
Poinsettias
The bracts or petals of a poinsettia come in red, pink or white, with a yellow center of the flower. Choose poinsettias with small yellow centers so that they will last longer. The poinsettias that you buy for your Christmas decorating are typically grown in a greenhouse where the evening temperatures range from 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. They are exposed to maximum sunlight and high humidity. Therefore, you should ensure that your new poinsettias get plenty of direct sunlight and are not exposed to cold temperatures even briefly. Poinsettias often come in decorative pots, but they can also be used in door wreaths and table centerpieces.
Carnations
Carnations come in a plethora of colors, but the carnation colors used most often during the Christmas season are red and white. Carnations are another greenhouse flower requiring direct sunlight and daytime temperatures of 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. They will wilt if exposed to extreme freezing temperatures or a lack of humidity or moisture. Red and white carnations make a sensational table centerpiece, especially set against a background of scented evergreen boughs. They can also be made into decorative corsages and boutonnieres.
Christmas Cactus
A Christmas cactus' flowers come in pink, white, fuscia, red, salmon, yellow or a combination of these colors. While cactus plants are thought to be hardy, Christmas cactus may need special care. They are sensitive to temperature changes, needing to be kept at 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit and away from heat sources during the winter months. High humidity is important as well. Even small temperature deviations or being shifted away from direct sunlight may cause the blooms to drop off. Keep your Christmas cactus in about 13 hours of darkness starting in October. Stop fertilizing the plant, and water it just enough to keep the leaves from wilting. The cactus should start blooming around Christmas.
Lilies
The white lily or red Stargazer lily is often used as a Christmas decoration. Lilies are hardy hybrids that will last in bouquets and table centerpieces as long as you keep them watered. Keep the water away from the petals, however, because wet petals will turn brown. Temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity are best for these flowers. The pollen from lilies will stain their petals and other materials, so display them in areas where they will not be shaken or knocked over. Lilies are fragrant, and the stargazer lily can keep its fragrance for up to two weeks. Create a centerpiece of white lilies, evergreen branches and pine cones bound together with red and white ribbon, or tuck red stargazer lilies into the branches of a small Christmas tree with white ribbons and small gold metallic balls for a table top decoration.
