Bring some colour and warmth to the doorway of your house by carefully picking some hot pots and plants
HOT REDS
Perfect for: a cool corner that needs brightening up. Choose bold Mediterranean blue pots. They are usually associated with summer sun, but they also look great planted up with warm winter plants. A single colour scheme always creates instant impact - try a combination of cyclamen and Gaultheria procumbens.
OLIVES
Perfect for: an alternative look. Choose an olive tree! Although olive trees may be associated with sunnier climes, they are surprisingly hardy. Dress up your olive tree by placing it in a terracotta pot and under planting it with variegated ivy. It should be kept sheltered from cold winter winds, but makes a great alternative to the traditional Christmas tree.
HOT REDS
Perfect for: a cool corner that needs brightening up. Choose bold Mediterranean blue pots. They are usually associated with summer sun, but they also look great planted up with warm winter plants. A single colour scheme always creates instant impact - try a combination of cyclamen and Gaultheria procumbens.
OLIVES
Perfect for: an alternative look. Choose an olive tree! Although olive trees may be associated with sunnier climes, they are surprisingly hardy. Dress up your olive tree by placing it in a terracotta pot and under planting it with variegated ivy. It should be kept sheltered from cold winter winds, but makes a great alternative to the traditional Christmas tree.
CHOCOLATE ORANGE
Perfect for: a warm welcome to a door or driveway. Choose large red planters and plant them up in rich tones of red, orange and chocolate brown. It's a warm and inviting look that's easy to replicate. Plant a chocolate-brown cordyline in the centre of the pot and alternate orange flaming katy (Kalanchoë blossfeldiana) and red Gaultheria procumbens around the base of the cordyline. Place in a bright but sheltered spot and water sparingly.
POINSETTIAS
As we are looking at brightening up the doorstep let's look indoors too. There were some interesting houseplants on sale before Christmas to cash in on the buying frenzy. Some of the choices will last longer than others. Don't be too disappointed if the beautiful plant you bought looks like a pile of twigs, they will have done their job. Some plants are for Christmas, not for life!
A favourite is the Poinsettia. These attractive foliage plants prefer cooler rooms otherwise they wilt. To keep the humidity up, stand them on a layer of pebbles in a water-filled tray. Put the plants near a window with lots of light but out of draughts, let them dry out between watering, and feed occasionally. They could last for months but don't bet money on it though! Most of the problems you will get with this plant are because of the poor conditions they were displayed in at the shops. They were grown in hot glasshouses so a cold draughty doorway of a shop is the last thing they need. Pick ones from shops that keep them watered and out of the cold air. If you do want to over winter the plant so that they produce the coloured bracts ( kind of flower petals), it is possible but tricky. They'll need 14 hours of total darkness followed by 10 hours of daylight every day for 8 weeks. Leave it to the professionals!
Horticultural.
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