If you're one of those people who just has to look at a Christmas pot plant for its leaves to start wilting, perhaps it's time to consider whether you might be killing it with kindness.
So many of our Christmas favourites, including poinsettias, forced bulbs and cyclamen, hate being overwatered or placed near radiators or in draughts. A little thought about where you are to place your plant can go a long way.
Many festive plants, including indoor azaleas, pot chrysanthemums and cyclamen are virtually hardy and are happiest in a cool room such as a porch, cold hallway or in an unheated conservatory. Most, apart from the Christmas azalea, can be watered once every few days, so that the compost doesn't dry out but isn't sodden either. The azalea, however, can be watered daily to keep the rootball moist. Stand it in a bowl of water for 20 minutes, then tip away the excess water.
Cineraria and calceolaria also prefer cool conditions such as an enclosed porch. As they are annuals, they're better placed in an area you want to brighten up during the festive season rather than risk placing a much-loved permanent specimen there.
Poinsettias, the traditional plants of Christmas, come in other colours apart from red, including salmon pink and cream. They should thrive in bright filtered light, ideally in a bright living room, but don't put them in direct sunshine or they may wilt, and all hate draughts. Again, don't overwater them. Wait until the leaves show signs of wilting and then give the compost a good soak, but don't allow the plant to stand in water for any length of time.
Cyclamen, which come in a wide range of colours, like cool conditions, and will flower longer at temperatures around 13-18C. Wait until the leaves just start to wilt before watering and always water from below, by standing in a deep saucer of water for a few minutes before allowing to drain.
Forced bulbs are popular during the festive season, particularly hyacinths, whose fragrance can fill a room, as well as bright and cheery dwarf narcissi and bold, brassy hippeastrum.
They are extremely easy to maintain indoors as you can just treat them like annuals and throw them away afterwards because if they've been forced, they won't make much of an impact if you replant them in the garden.
If you've forced your own, as soon as the buds have grown and are about to show their real colour, bring them indoors. If you do it too early they may produce inferior flowers on short, stunted stems.
For me, among the best value-for-money houseplants which look elegant for many months of the year are orchids. Those who are under the impression that they are difficult should think again.
Price has often been an issue, but in recent years the price of orchids has come down and in the new year there are likely to be special offers on spectacular ones. Phalaenopsis, the moth orchid, can repeat-flower virtually all year, its arching spikes producing graceful flowers in shades of pink and white.
They need a steady temperature of around 16-21C and high humidity. Mine thrive on my kitchen windowsill and I happen to have a kettle nearby and am convinced that the steam from the kettle gives them as much humidity as they need, although you can stand the pot on a dish of damp pebbles to provide the necessary humidity.
You must never overwater orchids. Give them a good soak once a week from below, dunking them in a bowl of water for 20 minutes and then placing them on a draining board for the same amount of time so the excess moisture disperses.
Hopefully, if you give your houseplants the care they need, they should be flowering well into the new year.
THREE WAYS TO... Improve specific soils
1. Add grit or sand to heavy, clay soil to improve drainage.
2. Dig plenty of organic matter such as compost or well-rotted manure into sandy soils to bulk them up and improve their nutrients. Water sandy soil well in the summer as it does not retain moisture as well as heavier soil.
3. If you have extremely acidic soil add lime or chalk to it from time to time to neutralise the acidity and give you more chance of success with a wider range of plants. - Belfast Telegraph