Cut Poinsettias

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For as long as I can remember my grandmother has always had poinsettias in her home at Christmas.  Always the red variety because red is her favorite color.  When I finally had my own home, but couldn't afford a tree, I would always have a poinsettia.  That was almost more special than a tree because it reminded me of her, of home. 

The one little problem is that I really don't like the look of poinsettias.  They come wrapped in foil and most look a little leggy.  I think it was last year when I was thumbing through Better Homes and Gardens and came across a spread on using poinsettias in bud vases.  Why hadn't I thought of this before?  The picture above looks so much prettier than this:

Since then I've been buying 2-3 poinsettias with smaller leaves and cutting them for vases.  I change out the water every now and then and they last the entire month.  It's an updated version of an old family tradition, and they turn out so beautiful. 

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By the way, it's the first day of the winter solstice.  Check out what's in store this season.