Deck the house with poinsettias, plant a freckle-faced viola - includes December checklist

Sunset, Dec, 1994 by Jim McCausland, Lauren Bonar Swezey

It's that time of year when many merry gardeners spend more time indoors decorating the house than they do outdoors tending the garden. For most households, holiday decorating means displaying at least a few poinsettias.

What's hot in poinsettias this year? Look for the striking new Freedom series and 'Monet', introduced by Paul Ecke Ranch, a premier poinsettia grower in Encinitas, California.

Freedom poinsettias have dark green foliage, which is much richer-looking than that of other types of poinsettias. The leaves also tend not to drop prematurely if given suitable growing conditions. In fact, Ecke Ranch received reports from home growers that the Freedom poinsettias lasted well into spring. Colors in the Freedom series include Jingle Bells (red with pink flecks), Marble (pink and white), Red (deep burgundy), White (cream), and Pink.

'Monet' is a blue-ribbon winner in the Society of American Florists' new varieties competition. Its multicolored bracts (modified leaves) daubed with shades of red, deep rose, and cream remind some of Claude Monet's paintings.

Look for Freedom and 'Monet' poinsettias at nurseries and florist shops this month. Plants do best when daytime temperatures stay below 70 [degrees] and nighttime temperatures are from 60 [degrees] to 65 [degrees] indoors or no lower than the low 50s outdoors. Set plants in bright, indirect light, and keep the soil around them moderately moist.

But aren't poinsettias poisonous?

The most widely sold potted plant in the United States, poinsettia has a commonly believed but poorly documented reputation for being poisonous. To determine whether the plant is truly dangerous, Ohio State University conducted extensive research. Their conclusion: though poinsettia leaves and flowers might give you a stomachache if you ate them, they wouldn't kill or seriously hurt you. With this in mind, you should still keep poinsettias out of the reach of small children.

A freckle-faced viola from seed

Viola sororia 'Freckles', a newly cultivated viola found wild in Wisconsin, was first noticed for its white petals flecked with violet blue, as though somebody had passed over it with a spray gun. The flowers were sterile, so it was assumed that the plant produced no seeds. Not so. This viola forms seeds in ground-level pods that aren't connected with the blossoms above.

You can plant the hardy new viola this month in the desert or this coming spring in cold-winter climates for a profusion of flowers later. First blooms will appear in spring in the warm-winter areas and in summer where winters are cold.

Order 'Freckles' viola seed from Thompson & Morgan, Dept. 500-5, Jackson, N.J. 08527. Send $5.94 (includes postage and handling) for a packet of seed (Item 8873) and a catalog.

What you need to know about snow shovels and throwers

When snow falls thick and fast, you can deal with it in several ways.

Snow shovels are fine if you have the time and are in good cardiovascular shape. But if you're not, you risk having a heart attack, according to exercise physiologist Barry Franklin of William Beaumont Hospital in Detroit. Franklin presented a study on the subject this year to the American College of Cardiology, stating that the combination of extreme cold and strenuous aerobic exercise is what puts you at risk.

Electric snow throwers are the best solution for most people. The plug-in models are light and quiet, and they can throw snow 15 to 30 feet at the rate of 700 pounds per minute. If you have to tackle deeper snow, go over it twice. The cord limits this machine's range to about 100 feet--fine for most suburban uses. Cost is $200 to $300.

Single-stage gas throwers have one auger and can throw snow 25 to 30 feet at 1,700 pounds per minute. Most of these throwers are powered by low-maintenance, long-lasting 2-cycle gasoline engines. Look for models guaranteed to start in two pulls. Cost is $400 to $650.

Two-stage gas throwers have an auger and an impeller--the auger for crunching snow, the impeller for throwing it. With the ability to throw snow 30 to 40 feet at 2,200 pounds per minute, they work best in wet, heavy, deep snow, or drifts pushed onto your property by snowplows. These machines have 4-cycle gasoline engines and multi-speed transmissions (so you don't have to push them). Cost ranges from $900 to $2,500.

Dust control for indoor plants

Like any object in your house that sits in one place month after month, house plants collect dust. Besides giving plants a dingy look, dust cuts down on the light they receive and serves as an ideal breeding ground for mites and other insect pests. Monthly cleaning helps solve these problems.

The classic small-plant solution is to cover the pot with a garbage bag, place it in the shower, then rinse the foliage with a shower of lukewarm water. Be sure you rinse both tops and bottoms of leaves.

For larger plants, you can sponge off the leaves with lukewarm water or use one of the commercial leaf-cleaning preparations sold at garden centers.

ANYWHERE IN THE WEST, TACKLE THESE CHORES: