First Christmas Cactus Blooms!

If you go into just about any store, you now start to see Christmas decorations everywhere. Flyers have been full of Black Friday sales a week or two ahead of that date, after the American Thanksgiving day (Thursday, this year).

Well, I've started to tell myself that I should be drafting my Christmas letter and try to get a head start on it this year. It hasn't happened yet, but I may get that first draft started this next Sunday.

Meantime, my big Christmas Cactus right here in the window - where I just have to shift my eyes a tiny bit from this screen is blessing me with these lovely pink blooms.

I realized towards the end of last week that there were flowers pressed against the chilly window so on Monday morning I stepped up on my desk and turned that plant around so that I could enjoy them better!

I recall years ago, when in Hague, and in a phone conversation with my Irish Aunt Margaret in Ontario, I complained to her that I couldn't seem to get my Christmas cactii to bloom at Christmas; they chose other times of the year, like November and February.

She suggested that I put them somewhere in a chilly place. Not freezing cold, but cooler than the room temperature. That would inspire them. Well, I'm guessing that's what happened here. So I'm hoping that by turning it around, the tops of the other branches on the other side will now catch on and break into blooms too. Meantime, I'm delighting in the ones I can see.

Not sure if you can spot them in the photo, but there are a bunch of small pink buds above the three clusters of large flowers. I hope they will open too, even though they are now facing the warm side of the room.

By the way, the boots I mentioned getting last week - well, good news! My boots are a good comfortable fit as long as I just wear one pair of socks, and I got some very soft men's socks (new) at Value Village. I think I'm set for the winter in this regard.

[Back to Archives Index ] ~~ [Back to Main RoseBouquet Page]