People will give and receive numerous festive pot plants over Christmas. Of course, top of the list is the beautiful Mexican plant the poinsettia, pictured far right. Keep this in good light, allow the compost to dry then water it thoroughly and every ten days feed it with a liquid fertiliser (tomato feed is fine).

Solanum– the Christmas cherries, pictured right, are popular too (remember the berries are toxic). They really are festive plants. Again, they need good light. When dry, water them thoroughly and feed them as well. Azalea needs good light and to keep its compost moistened with a liquid feed every ten days while it grows.

A beautiful bowl of hyacinths will fill your room with a festive scent. Careful watering is required. The bulbs of these can be planted out in the garden after flowering. The chrysanthemums make excellent short-term houseplants. The varieties of kalonchoe are good house plants too, so select your house plants carefully.

As you select your tree and prepare for the festivities take a moment to consider where and when did the keeping of Christmas begin? Many details of its early history remain uncertain but it is clear that the earliest celebration of the birth of Christ on 25th December took place at Rome about the middle of the 4th century.

The observance of the day spread from the Western to the Eastern church which had wanted to keep January 6th as a joint commemoration of the nativity and baptism of the redeemer. The first mention of nativity feast on December 25th is in a Roman document known as the Philocalian Calendar dating from the year 354.

From Rome, Christmas spread throughout the West with the conversion of the barbarians. St. Augustine brought it with him to England and Christmas Day 598 AD witnessed a great event– the baptism of more than 10,000 English converts.

In 567 AD The Council of Tours declared the twelve days from Christmas to Epiphany as festival tide. And so the festive season began.

The laws of Ethelred (991-1016) ordained it to be a time of peace and concord when all strife must cease. It is a message that is surely appropriate for today’s world.

And so Christmas draws close. Use the great green gifts, the trees and garlands, plants and flowers to add colour and scent to your celebrations.

It is my hope and prayer that beneath all our outer decorations, under all the glitter and wrapping paper there will lie a real and lasting desire for peace in our country, in our homes and in our hearts.

Happy Christmas to you and yours.