There's no sure way to protect your home from a raging fire, but there are some things you can do to minimize the risk. If you live near the woods, next to native brush, take these steps to protect your property.

• Keep the landscape close to your home well-watered. Limit flammable plants such as pine trees close to your home; do not allow them to overhang your roof. (Shrubs and trees with lush green leaves are recommended for green belts.)
• Don't mound shrubbery close to your house. Shrubs should be spaced apart from each other and kept low. For safety from fire when houses are close together, it's best to have no large shrubs between them.
• Create a buffer zone. A well-watered green area of low-growing plants or grass lawn can act as a firebreak between you and wilderness. The buffer zone should be at least 30 feet wide on flat ground and progressively wider as slopes get steeper. Walls, rocks, patios, ponds, and wandering paths can be part of the landscaping. Use plant materials that have proven their ability to withstand some fires. (Ask your local state Cooperative Extension Office or Department of Forestry for additional information and plant lists.)
• Manage the existing brush. Remove the fuel load from inside the plant. The buildup of dead leaves, twigs, branches and weeds in the understory is what makes the hottest fires. Cut out and haul away or chip and compost all of the dead stuff that builds up inside native shrubs. Leave all the green growth on the outside. When you're finished, you'll have a wonderland of usable space for birds and other wildlife that inhabit the local countryside.

While the poinsettia remains the most popular of the holiday plants, a healthy Christmas cactus in full bloom is a great gift idea for that special gardener. It is easy to care for and can be grown indoors throughout the year. The flowers range in color from yellow, orange, red, salmon, pink, fuchsia and white or combinations of those colors. Its pendulous stems make it a great choice for hanging baskets.

The common Christmas cactus that is grown commercially is composed of several closely related species of forest cacti that grow as epiphytes between 3,000 and 5,000 feet above sea level in the Organ Mountains north of Rio de Janeiro in southeast Brazil, South America.

We typically think of cacti as being heat tolerant, but Christmas cactuses will keep their blossoms longer in cooler temperatures. It is important to keep plants in a well-lit location away from drafts of heater vents, fireplaces or other sources of hot air. Drafts and temperature extremes can cause the flower buds to drop from the plant before they have a chance to open.

The Christmas cactus is a tropical type plant, not quite as drought tolerant as its desert relatives and, in fact, may drop flower buds if the soil gets too dry. Water thoroughly when the top inch or so of soil feels dry to the touch. The soil should be kept evenly moist for best growth.

Christmas cactuses will do best in bright indirect light. They don't need to be fertilized while in bloom, but most gardeners enjoy the challenge of keeping the plant after the holidays for re-bloom the following year. While plants are actively growing, use a blooming houseplant-type fertilizer and apply monthly until blooms set the following season. If taken care of properly, a single plant can last for many years, providing many seasons of enjoyment.

• A blend of composted fir bark and forest humus fortified with 15% chicken manure, worm castings, bat guano and kelp meal.

• pH balanced with dolomite and oyster shell lime.

• An all purpose pre-fertilized planting and garden soil amendment.

• Excels as a nutrient-rich top dressing and mulch.

Decorating the house with fresh greenery is one of the oldest winter holiday traditions. People have been decorating with greenery since the 1800s, with some homes elaborately decorated with garlands of holly, ivy, mountain laurel and mistletoe hung from the roof. Other homes went a simpler route, with greenery and boughs in the window frames and holly sprigs stuck to the glass with wax.

Today, decorating for the holidays with fresh greenery is more prevalent than ever. Greens such as cedar, ivy, pine, and holly add a fresh look and natural scent to our homes, and are good to use since they dry out slowly and hold their needles well. Hemlock, spruce, and most broadleaf evergreens can also be used, but will last longer if used outdoors.

In addition to using greenery in traditional methods such as wreaths, garlands and table centerpieces, you can also create beautiful arrangements in window boxes, pottery or vases. The key is to either immerse the cut ends in water before arranging or place them in an oasis inside the container, which you can keep moist.

Besides the more commonly used evergreens, consider using other plant parts such as acorns, berries, dried flowers, cones, seed pods and branches of dormant plants such as pussy willow or forsythia to give added color and texture interest. You can even incorporate fruits such as lemons, limes, apples, pears, kumquats and pineapple.

It’s important to decorate safely during the holidays. Dried evergreens can become flammable when in contact with a heat source such as a candle flame, space heaters, heater vents or sunny windows. If you use lights near your green arrangements, just make sure that they stay cool and, if outside, that they are rated for exterior use.

Nothing can beat the look of real leafy greens scattered around the house and in arrangements. It’s hard to beat the aroma of real needle evergreens decorating your house in the winter months. You can find all kinds of fresh greenery here at Greenhouse Garden Center, so come on in and join us in celebrating the holidays.

Fresh holiday greens such as wreaths and garlands have a definite life span, but with the following tips you can keep them looking good so you can enjoy their wonderful scent and beauty throughout the holiday season.

If you aren't hanging or mounting your greens right away, lay them outside on the ground (best side up) in a cool shady location until you are ready to use them. Try to avoid getting the greenery wet.

Sunlight, heat and wind are the worst enemies for holiday greenery, so keep that in mind when hanging them up. Outdoors, wreaths will last much longer on doors with northern or eastern exposures. Southern or western exposures can cause greenery to dry and discolor much more quickly.

If hanging or mounting greenery indoors, be sure to keep it away from heating vents, and try to maintain room temperatures of 70 degrees or less. Also shutter direct sunlight window exposures to prevent excess discoloration.

Anti-transpirants help to slow down moisture loss, which helps to maintain the color and reduce a potential fire hazard. Be sure to apply anti-transpirant outdoors at least one hour before decorating the greenery, so it can dry before you add all those personal touches to it!

Happy Holidays!

Fertilize your plant every two weeks after the blooming season with a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer. Continue through August. By March or early April, when the colored bracts begin to turn or fall, cut the plant back leaving 4 to 6 buds. Re-pot into a slightly larger container (2-3 inches in diameter).

Keep the plant indoors near (not directly) a sunny window or outdoors in a morning sun-afternoon shade location. Water and fertilize regularly, and by the end of May you should see vigorous new growth. Make sure and turn plants so that the new growth grows evenly on all sides. If growing outdoors, bring your poinsettias indoors to a sunny location before night temperatures fall below 55-60°F at night. Check for pests and diseases and place poinsettia in a south window.

Poinsettias begin to set buds and produce flowers as the nights become longer. Beginning October 1, keep your plants in complete darkness for 14 continuous hours each night by moving it into a dark room or placing a large box over it. During the day, allow 6-8 hours of bright sunlight. Flowers should mature in 60-85 days. Continue this for 8-10 weeks, and your poinsettias should develop a colorful display of holiday blooms!