White Christmas

White Christmas Cactus

The snow keeps falling, every day this week. We're buried under a mountain of fluffy white. Should stay that way 'til early May.

I like the snow. Wouldn't know how to celebrate Christmas without it. Though, I suppose it's this realization of another long, white winter that causes me to ignore the white one, playing favorites with the Christmas Cactus.

Pink Christmas Cactus

That fave would be Edna, of course. Beauty queen, aging gracefully. I'll readily admit she's the ugliest houseplant you could own ~ 11 months out of the year.

Her 12th month makes up for everything. When she gets all spruced up for the holidays, laden with 100's of breathtaking fuchsia flowers.

Peach Christmas Cactus

Then there's my little Peaches & Cream girl. Not a prolific bloomer and far too fussy to be living with me. She needs extra water, fertilizer and more TLC than the other gals. She gets her way because apricot is a favorite color of mine.

Which brings me back to whitey. Unsung hero of the Miller household. She blooms every Christmas with such precision that she's the only cactus who deserves to be displayed, front and center.

So, I did just that. I moved her to a busy location in order for her to get the attention and kudos she well deserves. And, she practically had a heart attack, raining unopened flower buds all over the place.

Did you know? Christmas Cactus, in bud and bloom, are incredibly sensitive to their environment. Moving her from one spot to another during this hard working time can easily kill off half the flowers.

Yep. I knew that, too. But it didn't stop me from screwing things up...