Grown With Love: Poinsettias at Fairview

At Fairview, poinsettias are a big part of our history and have held a special place in our hearts for nearly thirty-six years. Actually, you could say that poinsettia growing helped launch Fairview Greenhouses as they were one of the first crops we grew when our greenhouses were built. Back then, my mother, Jo Ann, was trying to decide what plants she could grow and sell to help support her family. She had never grown poinsettias and wasn’t exactly sure what was the best approach, so she contacted the extension horticulturist at North Carolina State University to get advice. Ahhhh, from that moment the journey of poinsettias started at Fairview and we haven’t looked back, except to reminisce!

You may not know this, but growing poinsettias involves a lot of TLC as well as a lot of time. In fact, the growing technique changes every due to new and improved varieties on the market. Soon after Christmas, we start to plan for our crop the following year. You see, it takes six months for a crop of poinsettias to grow from a rooted cutting to the big and beautiful plants you see in our greenhouses during the holidays. From researching upcoming trends to tracking what was popular the year before, choosing the varieties to grow can be a bit of science and a guessing game at the same time. Much like fashion, what’s “in” one year can be “out” the next.

Once the varieties are chosen and the cuttings are planted, poinsettias are very finicky and need certain conditions to thrive. They need to be kept on a certain daytime and nighttime temperature schedule in order to grow and be colorful in time for the Christmas season. Since we never know what mother nature has in store for us (a cloudy, rainy fall, an extra warm fall, or an early cool fall) we adjust their environment to get great quality plants in time for the holidays. Our head grower, Carol, and her staff do a wonderful job growing and taking care of these beautiful holiday favorites.

Every year, thousands of poinsettias ranging from 4-inch to ten-inch pots in a wide variety of colors (from reds, whites, pinks, burgundy, marbles and other novelty colors) are grown in our greenhouses and are enjoyed in the homes of many of our customers and churches alike. In addition, florists, interior designers and various organizations use Fairview poinsettias year after year. If you are a business, organization or need a fundraising opportuntiy, contact us and ask about our poinsettia program.

I could go on and on about this lovely holiday flower, but I will resist. As you enjoy your Fairview poinsettias during the holidays, remember they were grown with a lot of passion and love from our family to yours.

Happy Holidays!
Susan Rollins
Fairview Greenhouses & Garden Center