My Garden. End of October - Poinsettia is red

[canarybird]

Don't know if this belongs in a photography or a garden section, but our recent overnight rains and morning sunshine are making the garden very happy!

The grass is like green velvet and the double poinsettia cuttings (from a neighbour) that I planted last February have been growing like tall weeds.
The first set of bracts is out and has turned red and the inner set is coming out now. Those double poinsettias are majestic when in full bloom. I just hope we don't have any heavy rain that would spoil them before they are fully open. I've looked at my neighbour's plant with envy over the years and tried to find one in a nursery but couldn't. So I asked our gardener (also her gardener) to save me some of her cuttings when we do the annual garden pruning in February, and so he did. Now I'm crossing my fingers that I will see the fully developed bracts and that they will last until Christmas.

Sitting outside this morning having breakfast on the patio - yes it's even that warm here in the north of Tenerife(!) I couldn't help but watch the water drops on the plants sparkling in the sunlight. So I took out my SLR camera and made some photos before the sun dried all the drops. I have to say that there is a big difference between the photos taken with my every day small compact camera and a DSLR. One takes photographs and the other creates magic.
That's just how I feel anyway. And once hooked on that magic, one is inspired to go out and make it again and again. Here are some garden pics from today:

http://canarybird.smugmug.com/Gardens/2013-around-town-and-garden/i-cJc8n9t/0/L/IMG_1997-L.jpg

http://canarybird.smugmug.com/Gardens/2013-around-town-and-garden/i-3Zd9CWx/0/L/IMG_2008-L.jpg

http://canarybird.smugmug.com/Gardens/2013-around-town-and-garden/i-ttqxb77/0/L/IMG_2020XXredu-L.jpg

http://canarybird.smugmug.com/Gardens/2013-around-town-and-garden/i-psNMGt3/0/L/IMG_2022-L.jpg

[Malteser Monkey]

Just Beautiful !

Such detail captured !

[Megaloo]

Thanks CB lovely pictures

[bonitatime]

I have for the first time in my life managed to keep last years poinsettia alive. Mine hasn't turned yet but the leaves are orangish they are either about to turn or die

[canarybird]

Good luck bonitatime. Often the small hothouse potted poinsettias don't live for another year, but the ones planted in the garden will return as a perennial.

My neighbour cut hers down a few days ago because it had a fungus on the leaves. The one I planted in a circle in the lawn has also had its leaves yellow and drop and I remembered that some plants don't do well when planted in a lawn when they need less water than the grass does. Therefore when the sprinkler is on several times a week, the poinsettia is actually being overwatered. Luckily I made several cuttings and planted them in different places, one in a large pot and one at the back of the rose garden.
They are the ones that are doing well.
So one must remember not to overwater a poinsettia. http://canarybird.smugmug.com/Humor/Gifs-Still/i-qZDt7sn/0/S/smilie_758-S.gif

[bonitatime]

Thanks I have Pots so not as easy but I keep trying

[Andy0210]

I have for the first time in my life managed to keep last years poinsettia alive. Mine hasn't turned yet but the leaves are orangish they are either about to turn or die

Love the optimism lol

[primrose]

Thanks I have Pots so not as easy but I keep trying

You need 12 hours day light and 12 hours darkness to get them to turn red.If you have the little flowers in the middle of the red bracts you need to nip them off.

[Susief]

Last December a kind neighbour of ours gave us a small poinsettia as a gift. We had it in the pot for a couple of weeks and we were going home so decided to put out in the garden and it has taken. It had doubled in size when we were out last month. Am hoping it's still doing well when out next month!