Flowering, colourful plants are a joy to give and receive at Christmas, and the bright, cheerful appearance of their flowers, bracts and stems lift the spirits and epitomise the season.

Poinsettias and cyclamen are two traditional favourites at this time of year and are always lovely, but if you fancy something a little different that has glorious fragrance too, then why not try Madagascar Jasmine (Stephanotis Floribunda)?

It’ll be hard to pick just one of these, so why not choose all three – just be aware that they appreciate different conditions – so follow our guide and you’ll be sure to keep all of your plants happy well into the New Year.

Poinsettias

Success with Poinsettias starts with where they come from. These are not plants that can tolerate long-distance travel, or any spell in a cold delivery lorry or storage department as they love a nice warm environment.  It’s always best to buy those sourced from a reputable grower where you can be confident that all the plant’s needs will have been considered from the start.

Our Poinsettias in store are all UK grown from known suppliers and when you take one home you’ll need to…

• keep them between 60F-70F.
• give them good light, and keep them away from draughts.
• allow the compost to dry a little between between watering.
• use tepid water when watering, and be careful not to over-water.
• avoid placing them in hot, stuffy conditions.

After flowering, cut the stems to half their length and feed every 14 days when new growth begins.

These are beautiful plants, and come in a range of colours – all available in store now!

Cyclamen

Just as bright and colourful but appreciating entirely different conditions are the gorgeous cyclamen.  When choosing your plant, be sure to select one with lots of buds still to open to guarantee more vivid blooms  and when you take one home you’ll need to…

• keep them cool between 50F-60F.
• give them good but not direct light, a north-facing window is perfect.
• compost should be kept moist as cyclamen do not like water on the crown – so to water immerse the pot in water to just below the compost level and leave to soak until the surface is moist – allow to drain and then return to its tray.
• keep up the humidity – stand your pot on a tray with moist pebbles or damp peat and occasionally mist the air around them.

After flowering, reduce water and stop feeding, then place the pot on its side and keep cool and dry until midsummer.

These are beautiful plants, and come in a range of colours – all available in store now!

Madagascar Jasmine

The only evergreen climber to be grown as an indoor plant, Madagascar Jasmine has wonderfully scented, white waxy flowers and can grow up to 15ft (4.5m) – but they’re easy to keep under control and encouraged to flower by careful pruning and training leading growth around a hoop of wire or pyramid.

When you get your Jasmine home, you’ll need to…

• keep them at the correct temperature, around 55F in Winter and around 65F-70F in Summer.
• give them good light, but keep them out of direct sunlight which can damage the foliage, and ensure they the are ventilated (but not in a draughty position!).
• water sparingly in Winter using lime-free, tepid water when possible, water plentifully in Summer as often as necessary to keep the compost moist.
• keep up the humidity by occasionally misting the air around them, but be careful not to spray the flowers.

To keep your plant at the size you want, cut out any weak lateral growth at the end of February, cut back strong lateral growth to 3in and shorten leading shoots by half their length, then train the shoots around your frame.

Pop in and check out our beautiful festive indoor plants today – and be sure to take home our free care guides with your purchases!