Chinese New Year • January 26, 2009
It’s the year of the OX
Plants for Chinese New Year that bring good luck and prosperity
Azaleas are one of the most popular blooming plants for
New Year’s celebrations. The plant is an evergreen that symbolizes longevity and it bursts into bloom during the cold winter months. Flowers in winter will usher in good
fortune for the whole year.
Yellow cushion mums with red foil symbolize good fortune in the New Year. The yellow blooms represent gold coins and red is a lucky color. The combination gives best wishes for a great New Year
to come.
Another popular plant is the Zamioculcus zamiifolia or ZZ plant. This unique plant is known for its circular
shaped leaves that are taken as a symbolic
representation of the gold coins that were used
in China during the days of the emperors. The
plant is referred to as the Jin Qian Shu because
of its resemblance to the old gold coins. Hence
this particular plant is considered to bring
good fortune to your home according to
Chinese tradition.
Dracaena marginata is part of the collection of Chinese
New Year plants. This is a rather interesting looking plant
as it resembles a pineapple. The reason why it is on the
list of New Year plants is because its name in the Chinese
language resembles how you would say “good fortune
is coming your way”.
Another dracaena family member is the lucky bamboo and just as with Dracaena marginata it’s a plant
that is reported to bring good luck and prosperity.
This plant is easy to grow in water or soil and is
trained to take on many different shapes.
The money tree has become a strong symbol of the
Chinese New Year. Its five leaflets on each leaf
symbolize the 5 fundamental Feng Shui elements:
Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth. It is common to see the
plant with five intertwined stems. This symbolizes good luck and fortune to any household or business in the New Year.
A relatively new addition to the collection is the Chinese
Yellow Banana. Although this plant is not as common as the
others it is still gaining popularity and becoming part of the New Year’s tradition. This plant is taken as a symbol of prosperity for
the coming year. The fact that it has long lasting flowers also
gives it the association with longevity.
Amongst the fine selection of Chinese New Year plants is the Pussy Willow. Known more popularly as the Yin Liu in the Mandarin
language. The reason why this plant is popular is because it has
a certain symbolism to it that makes it part of the New Year
celebrations. Since everybody is looking forward to prosperity in
the New Year the Yin Lou which sounds quite similar to money
is taken as a symbol of abundant luck and wealth.
The selection of Chinese New Year plants is based on
superstition and vivid imagination. All of them are excellent plants that look great in homes irrespective of the
meaning that they are supposed to carry.
Homegrown Pineapple Plants
When you dream of Hawaii you think of
warm tropical breezes and pineapple. The
next time you are in the grocery store
purchase a pineapple and take it home
to enjoy the tangy fruit from this tropical
paradise. Look for a fruit with a healthy
green top. Once you have eaten the fruit
don’t toss the top. Save it, and grow your
own pineapple plant. It’s easy to grow a
pineapple plant from the top of the
pineapple. First clean off the flesh. Remove two rows of small leaves at the base of the pineapple top. Just take each small leaf and pull down on it. This will expose the stem on the pineapple top. Leave the top on the kitchen counter for 24 to 36 hours; this will dry the exposed stem. Once the stem has cured the top can be planted in a clean 4 or 6-inch pot filled with Bachman’s Mighty Earth potting soil.
Press the top in the potting soil and water the soil. Cover the top and pot with a clear plastic bag. Place the covered pot in a place that receives strong indirect light. Check the pot making sure the soil remains moist. In about 4 to 6 weeks the top should have sprouted roots. Once roots have formed the plastic bag can be removed and the plant can be moved to a south or west-facing window. Water when needed to maintain moist soil and the plant will grow with a monthly feeding of Bachman’s Excel-Gro water-soluble fertilizer. Pineapples are members of the bromeliad family and when the plant is old enough it will send out a flower spike and form a new little pineapple. This process will take several years but is well worth the reward when the plant does set fruit. When the plant is big enough cut an apple into quarters and place them on the soil surface. Cover the plant with a clear plastic bag for about two weeks, remove the bag and discard the apple. The ethanol gas given off by the apple
will trigger the plant into blooming.
Flowers and gifts from Bachman’s make any day a special one. When you order your flowers or gifts online, you know you’ll be getting a beautiful fresh floral arrangement from a trusted florist known for outstanding floral design, plus quality and service.
If you’re sending flowers or gifts out of town, you can rely on us to choose the best florist from either the FTD or Teleflora nationwide flower network. Florists who can be counted on to deliver the best fresh floral arrangements and gifts, even when doing a same day delivery.
