This is just WRONG!

[LovelyLadyLux]

Bit of a rant here -

Went out this afternoon to the local big Hardware Store (Big Box Chain) to purchase a snow shovel as the predictions are that we're going to get some flakes 'soon.' This particular store carries a bit of everything from all that you'd need to build a house to seasonal items and, in particular they have quite a nice garden centre always full of tempting flowers and plants.

Had to head to this department first so I could look without carrying my shovel.........

Well.........


There, by the front door was a HUGE display of Christmas flowers. Row upon row upon row of poinsettias........

BUT - and this is JUST PLAIN WRONG ((

A WHOLE BUNCH of them - proudly displayed were BLUE and PURPLE!!!! That is just plain wrong. A Poinsettia is NOT BLUE and it is NOT PURPLE! UGH!!! What is becoming to the traditions? Is a BLUE Poinsettia really symbolic of Christmas? Does a PURPLE Poinsettia really just reach out, touch me and say - Merry Christmas?? AND I haven't even started on the fact that not only were they BLUE and PURPLE they were sprayed with GLITTER!!!!!!!!! AGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





BLUE and PURPLE do NOT make Poinsettias and to PROTEST I am NOT going to put them in the Colours of Christmas photography thread!

[Horus]

I agree with that one LLL, a Poinsettia is supposed to be representative of Christ's blood hence its association with Christmas. I cant see those colours being natural either, so maybe they have also sprayed the leaves as well as adding glitter, so that won't do them any good, I suppose they are hoping the novelty effect will help sales.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I never knew that that is what a poinsettia's colour was supposed to convery. I just find that hybridizations sometimes just go off the chart. I associate poinsettias with Christmas and the holiday season and love seeing the big red leaves. I know they're now white, pink, smooth leaf, crinkly leaf etc but making them blue & purple - AGH! Noooooo

The ARE blue and purple. Much more than just spray. I can kinda see the purple ones being easy to hybridize as puple is on the continuum from red but BLUE? UGH

Am sure it is all just to increase sales so that interior decorating needs can be met.

[Horus]

The thing I always remember about them is how big they can grow in a good climate, large bush sized is quite normal and if you snap a branch off and stick it in the ground they would usually start growing again.

[LovelyLadyLux]

They grow all over in Mexico and I've seen them in Commonwealth of Dominica too. The bushes can be HUGE and, of course, the leaves are naturally, beautifully RED.

Just does not seem natural at all to see BLUE and PURPLE sparkly poinsettias.

[Christine]

Oh no would never think of buying a blue or purple poinsettia , red and only red will do for me, i ahve several dotted about my house at this time of year , and they look lovely , i do find the green leaves drop quickly though, from the store bought ones so im not sure what to do about that to be honest other than replace them The plant i mean not the green leaves

[Horus]

Christine, they are as said previously a 'bush' so don't really do that well in pots. Most of what we buy here are grown in Holland and on a basis that they usually get thrown out after the red bracts have gone. They often don't flower again (or should I say the leaves don't turn red) because they do need a specific amount of daylight to trigger this colour change, so the growers control the daylight hours to produce the red bracts in time for our Christmas season.

[Christine]

Thanks H , i knew they were a shrub, but just wondered why the green foliage does so badly but maybe its as you say that potted ones just dont fare that well

[LovelyLadyLux]

The poinsettias we grow are all commercially grown and prepared and enjoy life in climactically set greenhouses. After they go through the shock of leaving a controlled environment, get packaged and shipped to wherever and they try to adapt to their new home environment I think all of that change just shocks them too much so they drop their leaves in response.

I can only going to relate to RED Poinsettias. Blue and Purple are out and to me as foreign as a blue or purple pumpkin would be at Hallowe'en. They just got to be RED!

[LovelyLadyLux]

Ok - I got a huge surprise at the hardware store when I came across BLUE and PURPLE poinsettias. Today I was at a newly opened grocery store and cruising the plant department AND OMG OMG OMG OMG - ORANGE Poinsettias! UGHHHHHH!

Talk about UGLY and the absolute LAST THING you'd associate with Christmas - ORANGE POINSETTIAS with the same glitter junk sprayed/painted on the leaves.........UGLEEEEEEE Is nothing sacred? Poinsettias = RED!

[LovelyLadyLux]

Am happy to report as I've now been in and out of most of the store around here that I have NOT SEEN so much as even ONE purple, orange, blue or other coloured poinsettia. Just the regular old red, pink and white ones.

Some traditional things in life just need to be kept traditional. Poinsettias are RED not blue, purple or orange.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Just had to resurrect this thread as AGAIN I am seeing glitter covered purple/blue/orange poinsettias. I thought it was a fad but somebody somewhere is thinking this is a good idea. When I was out and about yesterday they were being displayed in the local grocery store.

I don't like poinsettias as live living plants here for me (although I do have a fake bunch I stuck out by the front door) but I do like the big displays of the RED they provide. Was totally fine with the pink ones, then the variegated ones but PURPLE & BLUE & ORANGE .....