Christmas in the garden

Skimmia, winter heath, hardy cyclamen, ivy and violas: a festive door pot that is still going at Easter. Which plants are truly hardy, which best-sellers aren't, and how to plant it.

Holly, ivy and conifer tips cut lightly, a moss-padded ring and no floral foam. What to take without spoiling the plant, what lasts outside, and why yew stays on the bush.

An amaryllis flowers six to eight weeks after planting, so a Christmas bloom means planting by early November. How to time it, slow an early one, and why waxed bulbs are a one-off.

Good secateurs, gloves that fit and a bird feeder you can clean get used for years. Bug hotels, watering globes and waxed bulbs mostly don't. An honest list.

Buds are set by cool autumn nights and long, unbroken darkness from mid-September. A warm, lamplit room is the usual culprit. Once buds show, keep conditions steady.

Only female hollies berry, and most need a male nearby. Cultivar names mislead: 'Golden King' is female, 'Silver Queen' male. Age, frost, shade and birds also play a part.

Three Christmas plants are worth keeping and flower again after a cool rest. The fourth needs 8–10 weeks of short days. What each one wants from January onwards.

A fresh cut, plain water and a spot away from the radiator keep a real tree going. For pets the tree itself is a minor risk; the lilies, tinsel and chocolate are not.

Prepared hyacinths need a cool, dark spell first; paperwhites and amaryllis just need warmth and light. Timings, planting depths and aftercare for winter flowers indoors.

The poinsettia's deadly reputation is a century-old myth — it's only mildly toxic. Here's the reassurance, plus the festive plants that genuinely deserve caution.