HAPPY MONDAY!

CHRISTMAS CACTUS   Since we had some temps in the teens last week, I had to bring in all the Christmas Cactus inside.  It is hard to find room in our house for plants and the outside planter shelf with the plants on wound up in our kitchen under the mantle.

The Fuscia is beautiful but I cannot wait to see the red buds open on the other plant below:

I posted our original wood Santa's on Kerrie's Korner, SC this morning, take a peek!

One of the wreaths I made in year's past.  I do not know where to hang it as I have just a bow on the front door this year.

Early blooming Cactus....

I have several of these broad leaf Christmas Cacti that always start blooming before Thanksgiving.  As soon as the nights get nippy and the darkness is 12 hours long, they burst with budding!  The one that blooms at Christmas time is a smaller leaf without the pointy corners and is from a plant given to me in the early 60's!  My doctor's sister gave me a clipping from hers that she said was older than my doc.  I have had the plants I started from clippings for 50 yrs. now!

The Cactus on the right with the smaller, rounder leaves is the one that is from the old plant and blooms at Christmas time.
  These cactus do best left outside in partial shade all spring and summer.  Then I move them to cover on the open porch and drape a plastic drop cloth over them at night when temps drop to the 30's.  If you bring them in the house, move them while it is still warm so the temp change will not make them drop their buds.  They need 12 hours of darkness to bloom so I put them in an unused room or guest bdrm or even in the guest bathtub/shower and bring them out when in full bloom.  The blossoms then last for many weeks giving you many days of beauty throughout the seasons!
  Good luck with your plants.

More Christmas Cactus

I have been covering the Cactus at night with newspaper to keep them from freezing!  They continue to flourish with the red one just about to burst open and even a small clipping has blooms on it!  The fuscia one is still budding and just grows bigger each day.  They are wonderful to see.

Please visit Kerrie's Korner, SC to see 2 of my vintage Christmas Cards, they are very unique and Kerrie's Krafts 3 to view a pin and bead Christmas tree you can make!  Links are in the sidebar.
FA-LA-LA-LA-LAH, LA-LA-LA-LA!♫ ♫