1. Azalea Red, pink, white or bicolour: the beautiful double blooms will last if you keep the soil moist and the pot in a room with indirect light and an average temperature of 20 C (68 F).
2. Cyclamen: Place this plant in a cool room (15 to 20 C/59 to 68 F) with indirect light to encourage orchidlike flowers that range from white through red, magenta and purple. In ideal conditions, cyclamen may bloom for more than two months.
3. Norfolk Island Pine: No room for a Christmas tree? No problem! This tropical plant is the perfect stand-in, but the stems are too weak for heavy ornaments. Give it bright light and keep it moist (a humidifier helps).
4. Christmas Cactus: This easy-care plant easily outlives the average cat (some people have had the same Christmas cactus for more than 50 years). Set it in bright, indirect sunlight. Let it dry out before watering. In mid-September move it to a cool spot that's dark all night, stop fertilizing and reduce watering (but don't let it wilt). When buds form, fertilize and give it more light and water.
5. Amaryllis: My absolute favourite. Just when you need it most, an amaryllis bursts forth into huge, tropical, lilylike flowers in dramatic shades of red, salmon, pink and white, in solid, striped and speckled versions. Leave the top third of the bulb above the soil, water when it's dry and keep it in a bright setting. Tip: To make flowers last, set it in a cool place.
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