ALL BLOOM AND DOOM

If your house plants aren't providing a festive floral lift our experts have some tips.

- By HANNAH STEPHENSON

WE all love a festive houseplant, from vibrant red poinsettias to elegant orchids. But sometimes buds fail to open and bracts shrivel and drop.

We ask the experts why are your festive houseplants are not flowering.

ORCHIDS

Orchids are generally quite resilient, says Jane Perrone, expert gardener, author and host of award-winning houseplant podcast On The Ledge. “They like a steady temperature of about 20°C, so normally make really good houseplants.

“However, when you buy an orchid, particularly if you are unfamiliar with the seller, you don’t know if it’s been shocked by the cold, it might have been outside in a delivery van or in a boiling hot shop without any water... it may be something that’s happened before you got the plant home.”