Autumn gardening - Preparing for Christmas

If you haven't already planted prepared hyacinths in glasses in time for Christmas, try Narcissus papyraceus which will flower in under six weeks if potted in late November. Make sure you only bring them into cool, light conditions when their shoots are two inches tall, any less and the plant won't flower. Alternatively, for the Christmas décor, why not try one of the following:

Cyclamen are available in a wide variety of sizes and with interesting foliage as well as red, purple, pink and white flowers. The smaller ones, which tend to have names like Miracle and Midori, have a delicate fragrance and make great houseplants, especially if you have a cool room. You can force them in time for Christmas and the best news of all is that these varieties can all be planted out in the spring in a mild sheltered spot in the garden to flower again.

Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) will bloom for months on end with regular watering and an occasional specialised liquid feed - they do well as houseplants because their native habitat is cool, shady spots in Java and Australia. To have them in flower for Christmas, make sure you water the compost not the leaves and the crown which are very prone to rot - they do like a moist atmosphere though, and you can provide this if you stand them on a tray of gravel. Moth orchids like good light, without direct sunlight. For maximum growth re-pot every year specialised orchid compost.

While you're admiring your bulbs, think about your pots! If you have gnomes, this is the time to give them a lick of paint so they don't look shabby, and it's also the time to give your terracotta pots a wash of colour to coordinate with your Christmas decorations - a bulb in a pot looks great, but a bulb in a pot that matches the Christmas tree is fantastic. Acrylic paints work well, or for pastel colours, simply water down emulsion in your chosen shade for a faded effect. A bit of gold or silver spray paint adds pizzazz to pots too.

Christmas photograph by thunderchild5, used under a creative commons attribution licence