Mike Small tends to his poinsettias Monday at Small’s Greenhouse at 726 Summer St. in Auburn. It’s his 40th season cultivating the plants, which begins with cuttings in July. Growing 700 poinsettias annually, he emphasizes that he doesn’t need to retain numerous details in his mind about the plants. “I have knowledge in my hands and in my eyes,” he said. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal