Holiday Houseplants

The all-year round wait is over – Fantastic Gardeners brings you the jolly hugs of evergreen trees! From this month forward, real Christmas tree delivery is available at every door in London. Forget the hassle and concentrate on gift selection or yummy recipe browsing, while we take care of the centrepiece in your holiday decoration.

We’re offering an exclusive discount to our registered users booking their next holiday.

We’re offering exclusive discounts to our subscribers booking their next trip.

Reflecting on Thanksgiving and getting ready for round two. Here’s the takeaway:

How to avoid common pitfalls that can turn Holiday Meals into a foodborne illness disaster and how to handle leftovers safely? For more details see, HGIC 3566, Food Safety Pitfalls at Thanksgiving & Beyond.

Did you know that the tradition of making and hanging a kissing ball dates back to the early Middle Ages? During that time, people used apples or potatoes as a base to create a ball-shaped decoration we now know as kissing balls. The decorations were hung in doorways to bestow goodwill and blessings to all who visited the home. During the 17th through the early 19th centuries, Puritans and other religious groups frowned upon the use of any holiday decoration. Fortunately, Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria of England, revived the tradition of decorating with live greenery and Christmas trees for the holidays in 1840. Kissing balls were hung from doorways and ceilings to encourage romance, and many young women would stand underneath them and hope for a kiss.

Nothing says Christmas more than a poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima). Did you know that December 12th is known as National Poinsettia Day? Plant breeders have developed a wide range of colors in hues of white, purple, orange, and pink, but red poinsettias continue to be the most traditional color of the holiday season.

The holiday season brings joy and yes—many big meals, desserts, busy schedules, and stressful planning. As we move into this season, it is easy to fall off our exercise routine.

This year, more than ever, holiday traditions are important. One of my favorite traditions is making a centerpiece for my dining room table. Usually, this is a project I share with my grandchildren when they visit. We walk around my garden and collect attractive foliage, berries, and dried flowers.

Using freshly cut foliage for holiday decorations has been a family tradition for generations. Instead of using artificial greenery, brighten the holiday season by walking around your garden and gathering interesting leaves and berries to create distinctive and unique arrangements. Involve young folks in the process to create lasting holiday memories.

Festive seasons mean lots of indulgent treats that are not the best for our health. We may also spend more time sedentary after celebrations involving heavy meals or drinks. To counteract extra calories and inactivity during the holidays, get your family moving with these twelve mini-challenges! Time each activity to last five minutes, and by the end of the day, everyone will reach 60 minutes of physical activity. Every bit of movement counts to keep you healthy and holiday spirits high!

The winter holidays are here, and you may have some unexpected and unwelcome guests. Firewood brought into homes is a classic route for some beetle and ant species to enter a structure. Cinara aphids, which are generally large brown to black aphids, can often be brought in on Christmas trees. Even though they are plant feeders, many people think Cinara aphids are ticks and can cause them great concern when they see several hundred walking around the holiday tree. Other insects, typically outdoor nesters or plant feeders may be brought into a home on potted plants moved indoors to avoid freezing temperatures outside. Sometimes fire ants or Argentine ants nesting in outdoor pots get into homes this way.