From all of us at Newell Nurseries

We will be closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Thanks to the Yucaipa High School Madrigal Singers, who performed at our Newell Nurseries Christmas Open House. The lovely quilts hanging in the background were courtesy of Citrus Belt Quilters Guild of Redlands.

• The first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned in London, in 1843, by Sir Henry Cole. The illustration was by John Callcott Horsley. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first official White House card in 1953.

• "Rudolph" was actually created by Robert May for Montgomery Ward in the late 1930's as a holiday promotion. The song was written later by Johnny Marks, and recorded by Gene Autry in 1949 - it promptly sold about 2 million copies.

• Christmas became an official national holiday in the USA on June 26, 1870.

• Poinsettias are the most popular Christmas plant and are the number one 'flowering' potted plant in the United States.

• Franklin Pierce put the first Christmas tree in the White House (in 1856), for a group of Washington Sunday School children. Benjamin Harrison is credited with starting the tradition of the White House tree - he was the first to have a decorated family Christmas tree in the White House in 1889, and Calvin Coolidge put the first National Christmas tree on the White House lawn (not in the White House) in 1923.

• The first reported electrically lit Christmas tree was in December 1882. The world's first practical light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879, and a mere three years later, in 1882, an officer of Edison's electric company, one Edward Johnson, electrically lit a Christmas tree for the first time. In 1917, after a tragic fire in New York City that was caused by Christmas candles, Albert Sadacca (fifteen years old at the time) invented safety lights for Christmas trees. Decorating a live Christmas tree outdoors became popular, and eventually moved to indoor trees. The outdoor lights also moved onto houses, and decorating houses in lights became (and remained) popular).

• Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states, including Hawaii and Alaska.

• In 1979, the National Christmas Tree was not lighted except for the top ornament. This was done because of the American hostages in Iran.

• According to the Guinness World Records, the world's tallest cut Christmas tree was a 221' Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) erected and decorated at Northgate Shopping Center, Seattle, Washington, USA, in December 1950.

• By the way, NORAD tracks Santa around the world every Christmas. If you'd like to find out how they do it, and how you can follow along, check out NORAD's website here.

By Tamara Galbraith

Are you a patient gardener? Then leeks, the lazy cousin of the onion, are the veggies for you.

In milder climates, and if you missed planting in the fall, mid- to late-winter is a good time to put in hardy leek transplants. Cold climate gardeners should start their leeks from seed indoors now and wait until early spring to transplant.

After that, be prepared to wait; a good leek takes its time. The toughest varieties can take as long as 125 days to mature. But these cold-tolerant types can also be left in the ground with only a light layer of protection even during frosts and freezes.

Like most root-type crops, leeks prefer deep, loose, well-draining, humus-rich soil. We recommend you amend with Master Nursery Bumper Crop before planting. A common practice is to hill compost around each plant as it grows to help blanch and elongate the stem, and to provide nutrients.

Some cold-hardy varieties to look for include 'Alaska', 'American Flag', 'Arkansas', 'Bleu de Solaise', 'Musselburgh' and 'Winter Giant'.

Harvest your leeks when the stem is about 1-1/2 inches in diameter, and before hot weather sets in. Gently loosen the soil around each plant with a spading fork, then pull. Without a doubt, your springtime soups and stews will be more lovely with the addition of leeks.

By Tamara Galbraith

Not long after moving into our current house in the fall of 2004, I was presented with a large potted plant by the wonderful woman who lives behind us. "I just divided mine," she explained, "and I don't have any room for this one. I'm not really sure what it is, but when it blooms, it's beautiful!"

I too was clueless about the plant's origins. But within a few weeks, a flower stalk emerged among the big strap-like leaves, and a spray of gorgeous, trumpet-shaped orange flowers burst forth...in the middle of winter, no less.

After some research, I finally identified the plant. Eureka! Or...make that: Clivia!

Clivia belongs to the same family as amaryllis, with some variations in height within the species. The primary flower color is orange, but there is also a yellow-flowered cultivar that is somewhat hard to find. Also on the rare and expensive side, there is a new breed of clivia on the market with variegated, striped foliage, which comes in both yellow- and orange-flowering forms. Good luck finding those.

Clivias are large, heavy plants and like to remain in the same pot for a long time. A mature plant can get 2-3 feet tall and almost as wide. Like many winter-flowering plants, clivia should be given a month of cool night temperatures in autumn, followed by a six-to-eight-week rest period with very little water. Even when not in bloom, the big sword-shaped leaves make for an attractive foliage plant, though.

Be patient with a young clivia, as it apparently takes a few years for them to bloom...making me especially grateful to my neighbor friend for doing the hard part for me! They are a fabulous alternative to the usual live plants available for gift-giving this time of year.

Bill, as you may have guessed, is married to Melody, the owner of Newell Nurseries. The couple recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. They have 3 grown children (a son and 2 daughters) and 3 grandchildren.

Bill was born in Norwalk, Connecticut. His dad was in the Air Force and the family was transferred often during Bill's growing years — last stop, California, where Bill graduated from Redlands High School.

Bill followed Melody to the Nursery, hoping for a multi-faceted job after spending several years working in a factory doing the same thing day in and day out. Although he may not look the part, Bill has a delicate, creative side and found that his forte was as a buyer and dresser for the gift shop. Melody says that Bill has taken the gift shop over and above her greatest expectations, with his knack for buying the right items and displaying them to their best sale advantage.

By Tamara Galbraith

Fresh or dried, herbs can make wonderful gifts for both the craft-lovers and cooks on your holiday list.

Rosemary is especially popular at this time of year, as many nurseries carry plants which have been clipped, topiary-style, into a Christmas tree shape. If you give this marvelous-smelling herb as a present, encourage the recipient to not only plant it in the ground, but to frequently take cuttings to cook with. After all, nothing wakes up a holiday chicken or turkey better than a nice rub of chopped fresh rosemary.

Lavender makes a fabulous gift as just a bunch of cut flower stems tied together with a pretty bow or sewn into a sachet. The lavender will eventually dry, but maintains its wonderful fragrance for a very long time.

A few culinary herbs that stay relatively small, like sage, fennel and cilantro, placed together in a decorative planter can make a great present for anybody who enjoys cooking.

Dried herb mixes in jars and wrapped with a nice ribbon are fantastic gifts too. Share your personalized BBQ rub, creole soup spice or poultry seasoning, with instructions and recipes printed on an accompanying card.

As for presentation, there are loads of great spice containers in all shapes and sizes to pick from. Glass jars with a sealed screw top and a removable plastic sifter are best. "Flapper" tops -- those with a sifter on one side and an open hole for pouring -- are good too.

Use your imagination with herbs, and remember...Emeril's got nothin' on you!