LIGHT UP YOUR BULBS

Keep the pot damp and put it in a warm spot. Amaryllis bulbs are not cheap but they make a huge impact and you only need a few – three across a mantelpiece can look dazzling. They will flower again if you let them die back then water and feed over the summer.

Thanks to the houseplant boom, it’s easy to find stylish small pots to hold single bulbs or small groups. Mail order firm Nordic House has terracotta pots with a silvered rim (see left), and H&M has a stylish stoneware pot in a soft green shade (£9.99, hm.com) both of which are perfect for single bulbs.

For shorter bulbs en masse, you can use more characterful vintage pots or other antique vessels (pick these up cheaply at local boot sales) to plant lily of the valley (not a bulb but available for Christmas flowering – try blomsbulbs.com) and collections of forced hyacinths – ‘White Pearl’ is a good neutral for festive tables that will flower in 10 weeks. For the latter, plant into bulb fibre or loam-based compost with the tips just above the soil. Keep in a cool dark place while the roots develop, making sure the compost is damp not wet. When the leaves are 2in (5cm), bring into the light. Individual hyacinth bulbs can be forced using a bulb forcing vase. Antique versions, often in jewel-coloured glass, are highly collectible (check eBay), but modern versions are available (see box).

Broom-Hughes suggests finishing larger pots with a stylish woodland mulch. “Smaller bulbs can look beautiful if they are used for an indoor display, especially lots of one variety in large shallow bowls, tureens or troughs. Cover the soil with flat moss, which can be finished with pine cones, twigs and other natural items to give it a seasonal appearance. Creating these miniature bulb gardens is also a perfect activity for children on a cold autumn afternoon.”

If you’re willing to wait a little longer, typically 12 weeks, you can make similar massed pots with varieties of Iris reticulata – they need at least three months in a cold, dark spot before being brought indoors when the shoots are about 2in/5cm tall – but there’s nothing more beautiful to study upclose – especially in the bleak midwinter and after Christmas.

For further information on forcing bulbs, visit hyacinthvases.org.uk and oldhousegardens.com