The holidays are constantly evolving when it comes to how we incorporate nature into our celebrations. Long ago holiday celebrations included such bizarre things as the use of parasitic plants, the seasonal celebration for Saturn and lighting the darkness around the solstice to name a few of the traditions which color our holiday landscapes. If you walk into any local grocery store, discount merchandise retailer, hardware or nursery, you will be greeted by the red vibrant color of the poinsettias. Did you know that the Poinsettia is also called the Secretary of War? Just where did it come from and how has did it evolve into a core component for our holiday dinner table arrangement? With the popularity of mixing cultures, we are now finding blue and white Hanukkah plants, ostentatious naked ladies (aka: Amaryllis belladonna) with confusing names are just a few of the seasonal flowers that we associated with this festive time of the year. In this segment of The Organic View, horticultural expert, John Peter Thompson, who is President of The National Agricultural Research Alliance (http://www.NARA-B.org ) will my guest to talk about the origin, selection and care for some of our favorite holiday plants, trees and flowers and how you can get the most value for your money. We will also discuss how to pick and care for a “live” cut tree and how to properly care for it throughout the Christmas season. Stay tuned!