Episode: #14 23/12/06
Presenter: Melissa King

There are so many plants that we associate with the festive season. Some are Christmas classics; others simply look great at this time of year

For Melissa nothing says Christmas quite like the Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima). It is native to southern Mexico, where it is also known as the Flower of Christmas Eve.

There is a lovely little Mexican legend about a child who couldn?t afford a gift for Christ on Christmas Eve and so picked some weeds from the side of a road and brought them into the church, when the weeds bloomed red and green flowers, the congregation were convinced they had just witnessed Christmas miracle.

Of course it is also the festive colours that make it such a great Christmas decoration.

The vibrantly coloured bracts are produced in winter in response to shortening days, so they are at their peak for the northern hemisphere Christmas. Here they are grown in glasshouses with strictly monitored light levels to manipulate them into flowering for our summer Christmas.

Holly (Ilex aquifolium) is another traditional symbol of Christmas, think of all those famous carols, ?Deck the Halls with Bows of Holly? and ?the Holly and the Ivy?.

The plant has come to stand for peace and joy. It is said that a sprig of holly on the bed post will bring sweet dreams. Holly is a traditional Christmas decoration, often used in wreaths. As a garden plant they are incredibly decorative and make great evergreen hedges.

Petunias (Petunia x hybrida) always remind me of the holiday season because they are such a prominent flower at this time of year. Melissa used to have pots of festive red and white petunia scattered around summer entertaining areas when she was growing up. Just keep dead-heading the spent blooms and you will have a cheery display of flowers right into autumn.

One of the best of the newer pink roses just happens to have a very festive name - Many Happy Returns (Rosa, Modern Rose, Modern Shrub, Cluster-Flowered, ?Many Happy Returns?).

It grows as more of a spreading shrub and makes a lovely standard. You will love the displays of large blush pink flowers that appear from mid-spring to the end of summer and have a delicate sweet scent. When the flowers fade attractive rose extend interest well into autumn.

A Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis) would make a fantastic gift or even better a living Christmas trees. This tree was around during the time of the dinosaurs, making it one of the world's most ancient trees.