This holiday season I purchase two poinsettia plants. I cannot believe how lovely they still are. With red being a very acceptable color for the month of February (Valentine's Day) they have looked very appropriate in the house. I am not sure how long they will look this good. I do keep the house very cool since I don't want enormous heating bills. I am sure this has helped the plants remain in good condition.
I do have a trick for watering houseplants. I would not use this on very tender plants, however. The trick is this: I water my houseplants with ice cubes. I take about a cup to two cups of ice cubes and scatter them on the soil surface of the pot the plant is in. The ice cubes melt slowly and the water actually moistens the soil thoroughly. Sometimes when you water plants with water, the water runs through so quickly, the soil doesn't get really moist.
