Who says you can't have flowers or fruits now?

Although brightening sun is streaming into windows and stirring houseplants to grow, this time of year you may hunger for more than just growth from plants. How about some flowers and fruits?

Amaryllis bulbs could surely be flowering. If you have a few plants, you can store them in a cool room to be brought out to warmth in succession for weeks of flowers.

You may also have started some freesia bulbs growing back in December. Kept cool and bright, which they like, they begin growth slowly. By now, their stems should be loaded with fragrant, colorful sprays of flowers.

For fragrant flowers, there also are jasmine and gardenia plants. Jasmine likes to take a short rest after a summer of growth before it's ready to make flower buds. Keep it cool for a couple of months. Once it bursts into bloom, a single plant fills a whole room with its intoxicating aroma.

Gardenias are more difficult to grow but -- some kinds, at least -- have the potential to flower all winter. Give this plant bright light, constantly moist but not sodden soil, high humidity; and even temperatures. Fat buds then appear which open to fragrant, white flowers.

White flowers on potted alpine strawberries could foretell of a few tasty berries out of season.

Hand-pollinate the flowers with a small paintbrush, then expect ripe fruits a month or so later. Most alpine strawberries yield red fruits, but some varieties yield white berries that have a pineapple- strawberry flavor and aroma.

Just a few ripe fruits go a long way toward pleasing the palate and perfuming a whole room.