100 varieties, many unusual colors available
KINGSTON, R.I. — Nov. 26, 2002 — The bright and chilly holiday season is upon us. With Christmas and New Year’s right around the corner, the University of Rhode Island will host its second annual Poinsettia Day on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the URI Greenhouses on the Kingston Campus.
This one-stop shopping opportunity will feature more than 100 varieties of poinsettias, as well as orchids, houseplants, handcrafted wreaths, bows, holiday crafts, food and refreshments for sale.
“We have every poinsettia color combination imaginable, including traditional reds with green leaves, but also pinks, whites, purples, yellows, variegated, and speckled varieties,” said Richard Casagrande, professor of plant sciences. “We have reds tinged with green, reds edged with white, standards, dwarfs, and a variety that looks like a rose in bloom.”
In addition, the event will feature a wide variety of activities for the entire family in preparation for the holiday season, including a workshop on “table landscaping for the holidays.” Children can learn how to make holiday crafts and decorations.
“Poinsettia Day provides the public with the unique opportunity to choose between buying the familiar red poinsettia or being more daring and going with newly introduced, less traditional varieties,” said Marcia Morreira, director of the URI Cooperative Extension Education Center. “Our Master Gardeners raised all the poinsettias themselves and will be on hand to answer plant care questions, share holiday decorating hints, and entertain your children while you shop. It will be a fun experience for the whole family.”
Any plants that are not sold on Poinsettia Day will be available for sale in the greenhouses on Monday, Dec. 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Poinsettia Day is sponsored by the URI Master Gardener Association, the URI Cooperative Extension Education Center, the Department of Plant Sciences and the URI Plant Science Club.
The URI Greenhouses are located at Upper College and Flagg Roads on the Kingston Campus. Parking is available behind the Fine Arts Center. For more information, call 874-2900.