Hey Paul,
Don't feel bad. I've never had much luck with Poinsettias
myself. They seem to require a lot of light and just the right amount of
water and fertilizer to flurish, and they will drop their leaves at the
first sign of stress. Therefore their practicality as an ongoing
houseplant is questionable.
As far as their flowers are concerned they aren't really flowers at
all! They are actually new leaves. If you have any little ones in the
house (or curious pets, like my crazy cats!) you might consider getting
rid of your Poinsettia before it starts dropping leavs becase they are
extemely toxic!!!
