Easy Holiday Garden Ideas for the Novice and Expert alike

Truly one of the superstars of indoor flowers, the amaryllis (or hippeastrum, as it is more correctly known) produces gigantic brightly coloured lily-like blooms that last for weeks on top of an elegant fleshy stalk. Despite their exotic looks they are very easy to grow, so ideal for the beginner gardener or even non-gardener.

Amaryllis come in a range of colours including brilliant red, white, striped, pink, peach with some having double flowers and others miniature blooms. An amaryllis kit - which comprises all you need to succeed including the bulb, pot and compost - is the most convenient way of buying them and also makes an ideal Christmas gift.

You can get amaryllis to flower at different times, so that by combining several bulbs started into growth at intervals you can enjoy blooms in succession over several months. For example, a series of bulbs started every few weeks from November to March will be blooming more or less continuously from January to May.
Pot-up the huge bulbs singly into their pot so that the top half of the bulb is above the surface of the compost. This will allow the amaryllis bulb to ripen fully after flowering so that it is more likely to flower the following year.

The easiest way to plant is to place the bulb on top of a cone-shaped pile of compost then add more compost around the sides of the bulb. Firm lightly, then water well and allow to drain. Place the pot on a well-lit spot out of direct sun, such as an east- or west-facing windowsill and away any direct sources of heat.
For longer-lasting flowers, keep the bulbs in a cool room - say 13C (55F) - and when the flowers open use a pair of scissors to cut off the anthers (the part of the bloom where the pollen is produced).

Tools required: bulb kit (you can get one here)
Skill rating: Easy

Live Christmas trees
You can save a lot of money if you grow a Christmas tree in a container that can be decorated indoors or out for the festive season. If you have a Christmas tree in a large container that you want to bring into the house for a few days during the festive season, move it into a sheltered spot a couple of weeks before Christmas and then into an unheated greenhouse or porch for the last few days to help it get acclimatised to warmer conditions indoors. Then, after Christmas reverse the process so that it doesn't get too much of a shock when its moved outdoors again. Alternatively, keep it outside in a prominent position such as outside the patio window and decorate it with outdoor lights.

Tools required: None
Skill rating: Easy