This week I’ve started thinking about the plants again, nurturing my indoor collection and enjoying the last of the autumn colours through the window. Paperwhite ‘Ziva’ bulbs were planted up ready for Christmas, although some of mine have got carried away and will have finished flowering by December 24th. On the plus side with staggered flowering times (albeit accidental) the scent will have been filling the kitchen for several weeks. I will be scrabbling around garden centres and the internet to see if I can find a few more to keep the flowering season going, the scent fills a room and the narcissus flowers make me think spring is around the corner, these are definitely my favourite indoor bulbs. To make them even more Christmassy or to give as presents I under plant the Paperwhites with indoor cyclamen, being a lover of all things Scandinavian I tend to fill a bowl with white cyclamen to go with the white narcissus but pinks or reds look equally good. I’ve continued the white theme into the front garden by planting Narcissus ‘Thalia’ ready to start popping up in spring.

The other indoor colour at the moment is coming from two of my Phalaenopsis orchids that are currently in full bloom, one deep pink and the other spotted along with two African violets (one pink and one purple) that I was recently given. I’ve re-potted and changed the compost on a Cymbidium orchid which is now looking much happier and I’m looking forward to seeing it bloom again, not only does it have the most delicate red flowers but even has a fragrance. Along with the flowers there are plenty of green tones from the herbs on the kitchen window sill, it always good to have some to cook with and saves going outside when its dark and cold. The green leaves on the window sill are perfect for linking to the greens inside to the outside, oregano, marjoram and rosemary (my herb collection is planted by and underneath the step-overs near the kitchen) or at this time of year the evergreens like the bay trees (Laurus nobilis) by the back door.

As I’ve been pottering about checking plants I’ve realised that I seem to have gone for a seaside theme in kitchen planters, on the kitchen window sill I have pale blue ceramic buckets (upside down sand castles) and the orchids on the bookshelves are in green and blue ceramic seaside buckets with ribbons for handles. Which has got me thinking, as my indoor plant collection grows and I keep being asked what I want for Christmas whether to ask for more buckets for the new additions.