By Tamara Galbraith

That holiday superstar, the poinsettia, actually has its own holiday. By an Act of Congress, December 12 was set aside as National Poinsettia Day.

The date marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, who is credited with introducing the native Mexican plant to the United States. During Poinsett's appointment in Mexico, he wandered the countryside looking for new plant species. In 1828, he discovered a beautiful shrub with large red bracts growing next to a road. He took cuttings from the plant and brought them back to his greenhouse in South Carolina.

Years later, William Prescott, a historian and horticulturist, was asked to give 'Euphorbia pulcherrima' a new name as it became more popular. At that time Mr. Prescott had just published a book called the Conquest of Mexico in which he detailed Joel Poinsett’s discovery of the plant. So, Prescott named the plant the poinsettia in honor of Joel Poinsett’s discovery.

We're not sure what Mr. Poinsett would think of the latest trend in painting the colored bracts of his beloved plants with various shades of blue and layers of sparkles, but holiday shoppers certainly seem to dig them. Whatever the case, Poinsett's introduction is now a tradition that brightens the holidays every year.

By Tamara Galbraith

Variegated plants will never go out of style, it seems. And the gardeners who love them will probably always love them. For those of us who love variegated plants, it's nice to know we can enjoy a couple of them outdoors...even throughout the holidays and into the dead of winter.

There are two different kinds of multicolored holly that will satisfy most variegated plant-lovers' cravings. The first is a true English holly -- Ilex aquifolium 'Variegata' -- and has the classic holly foliage, but with a lovely cream margin on each leaf. As you might guess, this shrub is hardy in the colder regions (USDA 3-8), and will get about 5' tall in full sun to part shade; the further South you are, the more shade you'll need to give this plant. It always has the same not-so pleasant characteristics as its regular holly kin, that is, poisonous berries and prickly leaves. But man, those leaves are gorgeous.

Slightly less cold-hardy but just as pretty is a Japanese form known as Variegated False Holly or Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Goshiki'. The leaves on this shrub also feature the classic holly shape, but have a speckled variegation all over the leaf face. A member of the olive family, 'Goshiki' -- which translates from Japanese as "five colors" -- is a fairly slow-grower. The younger leaves tend to have a pinkish hue and more variegation than older ones. 'Goshiki' tops out at just 3-1/2 feet tall and likes full sun in cool climates, and more shade in hotter regions. The shrub is fall-flowering with small, fragrant, white blooms hidden in the foliage.

This blotchy beauty will brighten up a dark corner in even the dullest winter landscape...and she's a little less prickly than her Chinese holly counterpart, too, making branches a bit easier to work with if a natural holly wreath is in your holiday hobby plans.

You don’t need to be a botanist to coax flowers into bloom for the holidays.

It's simple, especially when they’re Hippeastrum bulbs. Although marketed in the winter as amaryllis, most belong to the genus Hippeastrum from South America.

For the largest number of flower clusters, select the largest bulb. Plant it in a well-draining pot, 6-8 weeks before you want the trumpet-shaped flowers to appear. Make sure the upper third of the bulb is peeking above the soil and water sparingly. Then stake the flower stalk for support, put a bow on it, and voilà!

Don’t you wish all your holiday preparations were this easy?

Almaden Valley Nursery has a wide selection of amaryllis bulbs in stock right now as well as kits, which include the pot and soil mix. These items have been very popular and selling fast so come in soon for the best selection.

By Tamara Galbraith

Celebrating the holidays surrounded by beloved children and pets always makes this time of year sweeter. But the little darlings sure can get into trouble when your back is turned, eh?

And that's why it's important to be aware of the plants you've got decorating your holiday setting each and every year. Little fingers like reaching for bright red berries, and curious puppies and kitties can eat anything and everything in sight, leaves and all. So let's run down a few popular holiday plant choices and what you should watch out for:

Poinsettias:
For many years, this popular beauty was thought to be extremely toxic. However, recent studies have shown that, while ingestion certainly isn't recommended, eating the leaves won't cause instant death either. Keep it out of reach of curious kids and pets, and be careful when handling it yourself; the sap can cause a poison ivy-like reaction on the skin.

Holly:
The greatest danger isn't the pointy-sharp leaves (although those are a nuisance); it's eating the bright red berries, which can result in extreme stomach and intestinal problems.

Amaryllis, Kalanchoe:
Somewhat toxic, but large amounts would have to be eaten for real trouble to occur.

Jerusalem Cherry, Pyracantha, Bittersweet, Helleborus niger, Mistletoe, Laurel, Yew:
All are highly toxic (especially the berries, when present) and should definitely be kept well away from children and pets.

Be smart about other plants too, or at least, where you have them positioned. Toddlers with a penchant for trouble can eat potting soil containing toxic fertilizer, or pebbles just big enough to be choked on. Don't put heavy plants where they could potentially fall on a child or pet. Watch out for dangling vines that kids or pets can pull on or get tangled in during a rambunctious moment...and you know the holidays bring plenty of those.

Brian was born and raised in San Jose and currently is a student at Mission College, where he is studying to become a firefighter like his father and grandfather before him.

Ever the prankster, Brian was once suspended from high school for a week after setting off a stink bomb in his science class and causing the evacuation of the classroom.

Always interested in science, he once broke his hand punching the ground to see how "hard" it really was. Fortunately, the incident didn't cause any permanent injury.

Brian enjoys four-wheeling, sleeping, watching movies, sleeping, hanging out with his friends and . . . sleeping.

My Celebrity Service staff and I look forward to serving you this year. We'll go out of our way to make your day!

Matt Lepow - President