Light Up the Trees

HERE WE GO!  It’s that time again Promise Gardens friends! We are in total decorating mode and the lights are on! We love the simplicity of white lights in our home both indoors and out but love the colors of well-lit trees and the colorful imagination of designers. We are sharing our favorite trees we have photographed at beautiful gardens in the US as well as our own at home. It makes the heart merry and surely lights up our imagination and inspiration. Be inspired to create beautiful lights of beauty this Christmas season.

This is just one of the many beautiful images we photographed at The Greenbrier Resort, a totally magnificent Christmas experience.

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Photography: Copyright, JayJacy Photography ©2018 All Rights Reserved

Poinsettia Heaven Revisited

It’s that time again!! We begin the holiday season here at Promise Gardens…

Every Christmas I am in “Poinsettia Heaven” when I visit our local nursery for our Poinsettias. It is a sight to behold and no captured image can depict the scene of mass Poinsettias in color and light as that “one-on-one” personal visit. It has become a favorite jaunt for us each year and our Christmas decorating is not complete without the beautiful “Poinsettia” [Euphorbia Pulcherrima] plants on our table and special places in the home. We love the red but are often tempted by other colors and varieties. This year we purchased large Poinsettias for our foyer and a beautiful unique “Rose-Peony-shaped” Poinsettia for our table. Truly beautiful and a must for Christmas display!

“Poinsettia”

Euphorbia pulcherrima, commonly known as poinsettia or noche buena, is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Mexico and Central America. The name “poinsettia” is after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico,who introduced the plant into the US in 1828. It is also called the Atatürk flower.

Christmas

The plant’s association with Christmas began in 16th century Mexico, where legend tells of a young girl who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday. The tale goes that the child was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson “blossoms” sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias.[6] From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations.The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood sacrifice through the crucifixion of Jesus. Poinsettias are popular Christmas decorations in homes, churches, offices, and elsewhere across North America. They are available in large numbers from grocery, drug, and hardware stores. In the United States, December 12 is National Poinsettia Day.” __Wikipedia