Add ivy around amaryllis bulbs for a natural look. (C) Carol Michel
If you’d like to dress up your containers of amaryllis or paper white narcissus, add a bit of greenery around the seasonal bulbs.
Once the bulbs are planted, sprinkle grass seeds or cat grass oats (Avena sativa) on the soil around the bulbs. Press down the seeds, add a dusting of potting mix and water thoroughly.
At garden centers this time of year, you can find ivy (Hedera spp.), frosty fern (Selaginella kraussiana variegatus), cyclamen (C. persicum) and other small plants. These can be transplanted around amaryllis (Hippeastrum spp.) or paper whites.
Or, place small snippets of evergreen boughs around the bulbs. Remove the boughs when watering the container to avoid spillovers.
Seasonal safety
(C) Photo stefania57, dollarphotoclub.com
When decorating with fresh greenery, remember that some plants are toxic to humans and pets. Of course, these plants are not meant to be consumed, but sometimes accidents happen.
The beautiful red holly berries that define the holidays and the season, are poisonous to people and pets. Be especially careful with the berries. Kids may mistake the berries for candy and pets may see them as treats. Mistletoe also is poisonous. So is the red fruit on yews.
However, the poinsettia, long reputed to be poisonous, is not toxic unless you eat hundreds of leaves, called bracts. Some people have a sensitivity to the sap, or latex, that oozes when bracts or stems break. For pets, poinsettia may be “irritating to the mouth and stomach, sometimes causing vomiting, but generally over-rated in toxicity,” said the ASPCA’s website about toxic plants.
Color of Year
Color arbiter Pantone has named two hues as the 2016 Color of the Year. Serenity, a sort of baby blue, and Rose Quartz, a sort of baby pink, will be the go-to colors for home accessories, clothing and other items.
A lot of times, it’s hard to work in the Pantone Color of the Year, such as turquoise (2010). But for flowers, the color of Serenity and Rose Quartz will be easy to find.
These pastels are common in spring-blooming annuals, such as pansies and violas. In summer, petunia, Calibrachoa or vinca (Catharanthus roseus) sport blooms that come close to these fashion-forward colors. Or big-leaf hydrangeas (H. macrophylla) also could fill the bill.
Pantone has posted color palettes that can be a guide to selecting companion plants for the garden.