Indoor bulbs can brighten up the dreariest office desk or windowsill…and make great gifts too. Here are three of my favourites.
Amaryllis
These are bulbs the size of grapefruits and they produce breathtaking results. You can often find them in supermarkets or garden centres in kits, complete with pot and compost, for about a tenner. For no more than three minutes’ potting up, you’ll have three months of pleasure. Follow the instructions on the box and in a matter of days you’ll see growth. It’ll send up masses of foliage and almighty bursts of buds that bear spectacular trumpet-like flowers at the top, some 25in above the container. They’re that easy.
Hyacinth
If you want something slightly smaller, try a hyacinth. There are two types – ordinary or prepared. The latter has been specially treated to encourage them to flower for Christmas. The key is not to bury it completely. Leave the neck above the soil where the bulb curves round and starts to narrow. Buy a low basket or bowl and plant in threes or fives in bulb compost. A topping of moss, bark chip or decorative gravel will help make lovely Christmas pressies.
Paperwhites
I love these. They’re from the daffodil family and have small, white flowers. Ideal for low bowls, their fragrance is amazing – like a living air freshener. There are many other bulb varieties suitable for indoor growing. You get great results with little effort. You don’t have to be an expert to put on a show.
David Domoney is a Chartered Horticulturalist, Broadcaster, and Author. David has worked with a number of the UK’s leading garden retailers as a plant buyer and strategic consultant. With more than 30 years experience, in horticulture, David is as passionate about plants now as he was when he bought his first plant at a village fete.
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