Parks Brothers Greenhouses

Posts Tagged ‘poinsettia’

Can you believe it’s less than 6 weeks until Christmas???  I’m almost positive yesterday it was just July!  This year has just flown by.  And it’s that time of year when we start pondering things like Christmas cards and Christmas pictures.

Well this year, let us take the guess work out of picking the perfect Christmas card picture.  We’re teaming up with Golden Moments Photos to help you out.  On Saturday, December 3rd, Golden will have a scene like this one all set up for your family photo.  You will get a 15 minute session with at least 4 shots on a copyright free CD for just $10.  Your CD will be ready for pickup on Tuesday, December 6th, leaving you with plenty of time to make Christmas cards or other Holiday photo gifts.  And the pictures are all copyright free, meaning you own them.  No worries over having to buy an expensive portrait package.  Plus you can post them online to your heart’s content.

Session times will be limited, so book early by emailing Golden at goldenmomentsphotos@yahoo.com.  And visit her on facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenMomentsPhotos.

So mark your calendars, practice those smiles, and bring on the Holiday Cheer!  See you at the Greenhouses!

Sometimes in nature, beauty and danger go hand in hand in both animals and plants.  Take for instance the Poison Dart Frog.  It looks so friendly with its bright yellow color, you can’t help but want to reclaim your youth and play with the little frog.  But just touching this frog can cause paralysis from the poison that lies within its innocent looking skin.  Or consider the Blue Ringed Octopus.  It’s tiny yet vibrant.  But I wouldn’t suggest adding it to your salt water tank.  For a specimen that doesn’t grow much larger than 8 inches, its venom can kill a human, and currently there is no anti-venom available.  And then you have plant life, like the Lily of the Valley.  Oh sure it looks sweet with its soft white bell blooms and elegant green stems, but hidden in its delicate frame are 38 different cardiac glycocides that are highly poisonous.  Brugmansia or Angel’s Trumpet may sound heavenly, but if ingested the level of poison that flows thru its stems could result in death.  And Poinsettias can kill your pets…  What???  Actually, that one is just a myth.

Now I know, you’ve been told all your life that Poinsettias are poisonous by teachers, medical books, doctors and even veterinarians, and you have a firm belief that such a dangerous flower should be placed high on shelves where pets and children can’t reach them.  But as science has grown and advanced over the years, we now know it was just a false alarm.  Poinsettias are in fact not poisonous.  According to the Madison Poison Control Center, a 50 pound child would have to eat 500 to 600 poinsettia leaves to suffer any significant ill effects.  Now, I know children like colorful foods like jelly beans and starburst, but I’m pretty sure after just one leaf your child won’t be reaching for any more.  And a pet that occasionally munches on a leaf or two won’t suffer any harmful side effects.  Of course this doesn’t mean the poinsettia is edible either.  I’ve read one study where the person brave enough to eat the poinsettia leaf described it as horribly bitter.  So I wouldn’t recommend making a holiday salad out of its vibrant leaves any time soon.

I would however recommend you decorate with the Poinsettias to your heart’s content.  Take them off the shelf.  It’s safe, I promise.  Use them for a festive Christmas centerpiece.  Flank the fireplace or Christmas tree with them.  Give them as gifts to friends, Secret Santas, teachers, and neighbors.  And just enjoy their beauty this Holiday season.  After all the Poinsettia is the traditional Christmas flower.