The run-up to Christmas can be a frenetic time with shopping and to-do lists. When it all gets a bit much, it can be very therapeutic to do some gardening. Even a brief stretch outdoors sweeping up some leaves is enough to make you feel a bit more grounded in the whirlwind that is December. A crisp blue sky and the company of a friendly robin is balm for the soul.
If the weather doesn’t permit this, here’s a lovely indoor gardening project to keep you connected with nature. It’s one I love as it looks forward to the period beyond the festivities and offers a glimpse of spring.
I’m talking about planting up some paperwhite daffodils. Hardy spring daffodils are planted in the ground in autumn but paperwhites are more tender, and they do well planted indoors to make a beautiful interior display in around six weeks time.
Bulbs are available now in the shops so pick up a few packets. They may be labelled as paperwhites or Narcissus Tazetta, and there are some different varieties available but usually they are multiple small white blooms on each stem and sweetly fragrant.
Next, choose your bowl, container or vase. I like using clear glass vases as you can see the root development, which is beautiful in its own right, and if you use a tall vase, this will support the stems, which can get a bit floppy. There is some research showing that adding a shot of vodka will result in shorter and therefore less-floppy stems — mix one part vodka to seven parts water. If you are planting in a more shallow bowl, you could harvest some birch, hazel or red cornus twigs to create a natural-looking support structure.
The other advantage of a glass vase is that you can see the water level — you want it just below the roots of the bulb. As the water level drops over the growing period, you can add some more.
Sensitive skin may find the bulbs an irritant to handle so wear gloves just in case. Wonderfully, these bulbs don’t need to grow in soil, so while you can use ordinary compost, you can also use a number of other mediums such as pebbles, decorative gravel or coloured marbles for a more contemporary look.
Place a layer three or four inches thick for the bulbs to rest on and arrange the bulbs on this layer, close together. Anchor in with another layer so the bottom of the bulb is secure. Grow in groups of three, five or seven for best impact.
A layer of green moss on top is a good way to hide compost. Water in without letting the level reach the bulbs — they will send out roots to find the water.
Now, leave it in a cool place for four-to-six weeks. Keep an eye on them and top up water levels as necessary. When the shoots are growing strongly, move to a warm, sunny windowsill where you can enjoy the clusters of dainty white flowers when they blossom.
After flowering, you could try planting the bulbs outside in a sheltered spot — if it’s mild enough, they may flower again in spring 2026.
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Reader Q&A
I’ve a beautiful lemon tree I got this year in a pot — it’s going great. I moved it inside a few weeks ago but it is now covered in white, sticky small bugs — help!
Lemon tree
Whiteflies are sap-sucking insects that weaken plants by piercing leaves and stems and feeding on plant nutrients. First, isolate the plant from any other houseplants.
Then, try washing the insects off the plant with a strong spray from a garden hose — this will get rid of loads. Make sure you aim underneath the leaves as well as on top. Afterwards, spray with neem oil, which has insecticidal properties — it’s absorbed by the plant, offering some persistent protection.
It might not eliminate the problem completely so a few applications could be necessary.
Plant of the week
Hellebore ‘Christmas Carol’
Hellebore ‘Christmas Carol’
Helleborus niger is also known as the Christmas rose as it blossoms from December onwards. It’s an easy-to-grow perennial that likes rich, moisture-retentive soil and is partial to full shade. ‘Christmas Carol’ has pristine white bowl-shaped blossoms with central yellow stamens — the petals develop a pink flush on maturity. Lovely one for pots around the front door at this time of year.
Submit your gardening questions to Diarmuid via his Instagram @diarmuidgavin using the hashtag #weekendgarden