Windmill Part Two: Euphorbia pulcherrima Anyone?

The Massacre of the Innocents is the biblical narrative of infanticide by Herod the Great, the Roman appointed King of the Jews.  According to the Gospel of Matthew, Herod ordered the execution of all young male children in the "Vicinity of Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of the Jews whose birth had been announced to him by the Magi...Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more."

So, as part of our Christmas celebrations, we annually kill huge numbers of evergreen trees and, according to another Matthew,  The Lents Farmer, "Bazillions of [poinsettias] are cultivated (and later murdered) around the world - just for Christmas."   And what's the most popular color of this plant destined to die?  Blood Red.  Coincidence?   You decide.

Anyway, poinsettias are everywhere this time of year and I have to admit that it's fun to see greenhouses full of them and marvel at such large swaths of bright color and enjoy the new varieties.   Without further ado then, here are some pictures, taken at a recent visit to Windmill Gardens,  of the soon to be dead, brightly-colored bracts of Euphorbia pulcherrima.  Enjoy.








 There were several greenhouses containing nothing but poinsettias.  What a festive or sad, depending on how you look at it, sight!













My favorites were in one of the houses marked "Employees Only"  in a section marked "Not For Sale - Wholesale Only." 

One was this red one with dark green foliage becoming chartreuse closer to the top of the plant and next to the bright red bracts.  Yum.



The other was this variegated variety that I'd seen in some retail outlets last year.  Love it and it might even be worth trying to keep alive just for the foliage.