Plant amaryllis bulbs now and you could be enjoying their glorious, trumpet-shaped blooms in time for Christmas. Place in pots just slightly bigger than the bulb with two-thirds of the bulb above the surface of the compost.

Water well and then keep the compost almost dry until new growth appears, at which point start watering regularly.

Keep the plants somewhere warm and bright, taking care that they don’t get too cold if left on a windowsill overnight.

For a true Christmas red, grow ‘Hercules’ or opt for the smaller, double white blooms of ‘Alfresco’. Striped varieties are also fun to grow. To keep your blooms looking good, feed with tomato food and stake the flower spikes as soon as they appear.

Once the flowering period has finished, cut off the flower stem, place the pot in a cooler position and keep feeding the plant until the foliage starts to die down. Reduce watering and allow the bulb to become dormant before bringing it into growth again next autumn.

TOP TIP
Sow sweet peas in October and you’ll have earlier flowers next summer. Plant seeds, three to a 9cm pot, and place in a cool frame or unheated greenhouse. Once the seedlings emerge water very sparingly until spring.

Scottish Gardener:

WHAT TO DO NOW...

  • Lay turf to create new lawns or repair worn surfaces on established grass, first raking the soil to a coarse tilth and treading it to remove air pockets. Once the turf has been laid, water regularly.
  • Prepare soil for bare root roses, working in lots of organic material. Soak the roots thoroughly before planting.
  • Dahlias blackened by frost should be cut to 15cm, dug up and placed upside down in a shed for a week before being cleaned and placed in boxes of slightly damp compost.
  • Plant perennials now, firming them into the soil and watering them to settle the roots.
  • Cut the foliage stems from Gunnera and place them upside down over the crown of the plant to protect it from winter frost.
  • Wrap up banana plants, surrounding them with a casing of chicken wire, stuffed with straw, and covering the whole thing with horticultural fleece.
  • Cut pumpkins, leaving about 10cm of stem attached to the fruit, then cure in a well-ventilated greenhouse before storing in a frost-free shed.
  • Remove stalks and leaves from rhubarb to expose the crown to cold weather for a better crop.
  • Plant daffodils, tulips and crocus for a bright display in spring. Placing bulbs at least twice their depth below the soil will result in better flowering.
  • Brighten up areas under trees by planting Cyclamen hederifolium. These will gradually spread out to form carpets of colour.
  • Remove fallen leaves from ponds and from evergreens, including heathers, to prevent them from causing rot.
  • Wallflowers planted out now will provide ground cover during the winter and colour and scent in spring. Pinch out the tips to create bushier plants.
  • Dig up and remove rhizomes growing around the outside of bamboo clumps to prevent invasive species from spreading.
  • Once asparagus foliage has turned yellow, cut it down and add to the compost heap.