Hello Sven,

Now that I've taken down all my Christmas decorations the house looks really bare. Which plants or flowers would you suggest I decorate my house with?

Thank you,
Sarah

Our Gardens Expert replies:

Hi Sarah,

There are a number of what you will recognize as outdoor plants that can be grown for indoor displays. The first are Crocuses - the corms are planted in the autumn for flowering in the early spring. The earliest flowering varieties include, C. Blue Pearl and C. Princess Beatrix, which will flower in January and February. You can often buy arrangements in garden centres that are ready-grown for you, saving you the hassle of planting up in August.

Lilly of the Valley (see image) can also be grown for winter displays. You can buy special crowns that are grown for planting in November and will fill your room with that fragrance we all know so well. Or you could bring them in from the garden in October and they will flower around February time.

Dwarf irises are great for growing indoors and will flower from January through till February. If you plant them in September and give them loads of light as soon as the leaves appear you will end up with a great display. The best for growing indoors are Iris histrioides major, I. reticulata, and I. danfordiae which is also honey-scented.

Cyclamen are of course the most common winter-flowering plant for indoor displays and with care can last longer than the few weeks that they usually last. Firstly try and buy your plant in autumn rather than in the winter and get one with loads of open buds. They don't like to be too warm so position them on a cool north-facing windowsill and they should last for months and even survive to flower again next year.

Erica (heather) can flower from the early winter. The only problem is that they will suffer in a centrally heated room, so only choose them if you can offer them a cool spot not over 55°F or the leaves will drop off pretty quickly. Also ensure the compost never dries out. Try Erica gracilis and E. hyemalis, which flower over winter and don't be tempted to use garden varieties, which will not tolerate being indoors.

Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata' is a great plant for the winter garden that offers fantastic little fragrant flowers that have a fantastic scent. The flowers last for ages when cut and fill the room with a heady aroma. Also Honesty has cool seed heads that dry out over winter and are great for winter displays.

Have fun decorating!

Sven