So-o-o many choices for growing Indoors for the Holidays

For some, cooler temperatures mark the end of the gardening season, but for those of us who love plants, we know that we just change the locale of where we work. In the spring and summer, we work outdoors; in the fall and winter, we move indoors. My home has become an indoor showcase of what can be grown indoors in the winter. Holiday decorations can be augmented with living plants of various types.

One of my favorites includes the Norfolk Island pine, sometimes called the Star Pine. Araucaria heterophylla is a beautiful, coniferous tree that grows slowly indoors and needs plenty of light. You may receive this as a table top Christmas tree and, if correctly cared for, over the years, this plant will grow into a small tree. It does best in a bright window, and thrives with average water and humidity.

The most common winter holiday plant, the Euphorbia pulcherrima, or Poinsettia, will, contrary to popular belief, not make you sick if you eat it, although I am unsure why you would want to. Care for your plant and it will reward you year after year. The bracts are what change color to form the traditional Christmas plant. Colors range from burgundy, purple, white, red, and pink with variations of solids, mottling, and variegation. Native to Mexico, the legend of the plant goes something like this:
There was once a poor Mexican girl called Pepita who had no present to give the baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked sadly to the chapel her cousin Pedro tried to cheer her up. 'Pepita', he said, "I'm sure that even the smallest gift, given by someone who loves him, will make Jesus happy."  Pepita didn't know what she could give, so she picked a small handful of weeds from the roadside and made them into a small bouquet. She felt embarrassed because she could only give this small present to Jesus. As she walked through the chapel to the altar, she remembered what Pedro had said. She began to feel better, knelt down and put the bouquet at the bottom of the nativity scene. Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into bright red flowers, and everyone who saw them were sure they had seen a miracle. From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the 'Flores de Noche Buena', or 'Flowers of the Holy Night'.  The shape of the poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem which led the Wise Men to Jesus. The red colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ. The white leaves represent his purity.

Rosmarinus officinalis, commonly referred to as Rosemary, grows well as a Christmas-tree-shaped house plant and makes a nice table top or kitchen plant. Some people love the smell of Rosemary and having a fresh sprig to use for your holiday recipes is an added bonus. Although not as vigorous as a Norfolk Island pine, it can be planted outside in the spring. This plant just needs a little water, and a happy window to look out if grown indoors.

Another more traditional plant to grow indoors is the Schlumbergera spp, or Christmas cactus. With flowers that range from orange to pink to red and even purple, these plants do not require a lot of water, and can handle me forgetting to tend to them if I am out of town for the holidays. Here are some tips that will help initiate flowers in Christmas cactus.

Narcissus papyraceus or Paperwhites are closely related to Daffodils, and are grown indoors. They are fragrant, and easy to grow. Just pot them up and place them in a window away from drafts and enjoy! A pot from any craft store can easily be decorated for the holidays and used to brighten up any room, which also makes it a great craft idea and can be a fun project to do with children!

Another one of my favorites, which happens to be a bulb, is the Amaryllis. From the genus Hippeastrum, these bulbs are also native to South America. What I love about these bulbs is that they are so ridiculously easy to grow. Grab a shallow glass vase or pot, fill it with gravel, stick the bulb on top, give it some water, and watch it start growing. It takes about 6 weeks for it to bloom once it is planted. The colors are deep red, to white with all types of variations in-between. They tolerate abuse from animals, too. I had an Amaryllis named Jar-jar in my apartment in college with 5 other roommates and it did quite well.

A relatively new one to the scene is Cupressus macrocarpa, or Lemon Cypress. This dwarf shrub, with chartreuse green foliage, can be grown in a pot and is a wonderful bright addition to your home. Potted cypresses need sunlight and are used to bright, sunny locations outdoors. Their soil should be kept moist but not wet and should not be allowed to thoroughly dry. A good test is to insert your finger into the pot down to the first knuckle and then remove it. If soil particles adhere to your fingertip, the plant does not need water at that time. Lemon cypress can go outdoors and live as a containerized plant or be planted in the ground in USDA zones 7 to 10.

So, while the gardening outdoors may have been placed on pause for the winter, above are several plants that I hope will inspire you to keep growing through the holiday season and long afterwards.