Holiday Decorating Traditions

Holiday decorating that makes memories harkens us back to days gone by, and those memories begin at the front gate or front door. Welcoming guests during the holidays can be as simple as a wreath on the gate, or perhaps bright red, potted poinsettias on either side of the front door. Beyond the front door, the unique scents and colors of the holidays that make a nod to tradition let us know we’re home for the holidays.

Home for the holidays in Ocala covers many traditions. This year at the Silver Springs State Park, the Pioneer Garden Club will again decorate the iconic entrance. This year’s nod to the Scottish tartan patterns is our first use of this theme. A variety of tartan color schemes representing different names and clans of Scotland make our choice interesting for the history buff and those who appreciate color in holiday decor.

The traditional plaid tartan can be vibrant or subtle depending upon its history and meaning. The most common color combinations include red, green, blue and yellow. Prior to the 19^th century, the red tartan was worn in battle so the blood wouldn’t show. The three other common tartan colors represented Scottish natural resources: green for forests, blue for water, and yellow for crops. Ultimately, the tartan kilt is symbolic of the culture and history of the Scottish people.

The Garden Club has chosen a red, white and black tartan pattern for decorating at the park this year. Red poinsettia will be featured around the entrance fountain with live wreaths and garlands to welcome holiday visitors at the ticket booth. The tartan color theme will continue with red hanging poinsettia baskets along the promenade to the glass-bottom boats and beyond to the gardens where you’re likely to see some of the early blooming camellias.

If poinsettias are part of your home decorating scheme, consider visiting the Downtown Ocala Farmers Market on Saturday, Dec 4 to purchase white or red poinsettias from the Pioneer Garden Club. Proceeds from this fundraiser provide scholarships to the College of Central Florida.

The poinsettia fundraiser by the Garden Club will also be part of the Dec. 18 Holiday Craft Bazaar at the Silver Springs State Park. During the park’s heyday as Florida’s major tourist attraction, the park was lit up for the holidays. With the more recent back-to-nature approach, holiday decorating themes allow the park’s natural beauty to shine. It’s just one of many ways the greater Ocala area celebrates being home for the holidays.

At your home, a classic look can be achieved using amaryllis flowers. A native of Africa, the genus Amaryllis comes from the Greek word amarysso, which means “to sparkle.” Bulbs were first introduced to Europe in the 1700s and have been known to bloom for up to 75 years.

Amaryllis may be purchased as bare or planted bulbs, and are prized for their exotic trumpet-shaped flowers borne on one- to two-foot leafless green stalks. They add dramatic color to homes and gardens and make a wonderful gift for even the most novice gardener. Seasoned gardeners enjoy the challenge of seeking out new varieties for indoors and outdoors. Flowering in assorted red, white, and even candy striped tones, these plants are popular during the holiday season for a hostess gift or as a centerpiece for the holiday table.

A planted bulb usually takes 10-12 weeks to bloom. Use a container for planting that drains well; the plant should not sit in water. To care for your bulbs, water the plant when the top two inches of soil feels dry. Fertilize each time you water with a 10-20-15 mixture. Move the plant out of direct sunlight when it begins to bloom. When the flowers fade, cut the flower stalk back to just above the bulb. You may repot after blooming period. Keep watering the plant until it goes dormant in the fall. Replant these bulbs to enjoy seeing them come back year after year. You can, if you choose, move the amaryllis outdoors for the summer, placing it in a partly shaded location in zones 8-10. Mulch heavily to protect bulbs in winter.

The poinsettia as a holiday decorating tradition and commercial enterprise escalated in the early 1920s due to the marketing efforts of horticulturist Paul Ecke. The Ecke poinsettia operations were based in Southern California, a perfect climate for growing the plants and for tapping into the Christian connection of the plant due to the area’s strong Mexican heritage presence.

The poinsettia plant as a religious reference harkens back to 16^th century Mexico and is steeped in local folklore for celebrating the birth of Jesus. A young girl presented a handful of weeds at the manger of Jesus and, miraculously, the weeds bloomed into red stars. The plant we know as poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima, is native to the pacific coast of Mexico.

The trail of the poinsettia into the horticultural community of the United States appears to have begun with Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, United States Ambassador to Mexico (1822-1828). He fell in love with a beautiful red plant during trips to Mexico, and began bringing plants to his hothouse in Greenville, S.C. for cultivation. Plants were also sent to Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia around 1828. Robert Buist, a Philadelphia nurseryman introduced the plant to the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Scotland around 1828. In 1834, Buist was officially credited with introducing the plant to Europe due to his successful career with the new scarlet plant. The poinsettia bloomed imperfectly in 1835 and in 1836 perfectly. The beauty of the plant was captured in drawings for Curtis’s Botanical Magazine and the euphorbia was renamed Poinsettia pulcherrima by Robert C. Graham, Regius Professor of Botany at Edinburgh.

Poinsettias can be used year-round in Florida and the best selection of plants will be available during the holidays. It comes in red, pink, and white varieties. A poinsettia used in a floral arrangement during the holidays should last up to three weeks if cared for properly. Keep your plant from extreme cold and heat when transferring it from store to home, and also within your home. Provide indirect light, water when top dirt feels dry, maintain temperatures above 50 degrees, and fertilize with lower nitrogen about ten days after blooming. A potted poinsettia will often grow into a bush when planted outside in the state of Florida. This was a pleasant surprise for several new club members from the North. You can enjoy your poinsettia inside for the holidays and year-round outside.

With their colorful leaves and flowers, amaryllis and poinsettias are the perfect way to add holiday cheer to your home for the holidays.