Plant of the moment

Cymbidium

You'll need a lot of time on your hands to nurture these exotic blooms in the comfort of your own home

Now is the time to start bringing in the hardier specimens of orchids that have graced your patio this summer. Ahem. Yes. While some people fill their pots with droopy geraniums, top-notch gardeners who have been nurturing their cymbidiums all year simply dust them off, put them outside to take the air, and watch proudly while they blossom into the kind of exotic pink, white and cream, butterfly-shaped blooms that make the neighbours jealous. If you have no distracting job, children or pets to drain your time, you too can embark on this. But if you have other interests in life, the orchid display at Kew in the Princess of Wales conservatory is looking magnificent - sadly, they are behind glass, so no chance of nicking one.