Now is a perfect time to start planting bulbs for the Spring. Certain types of bulb are best avoided for flower borders as they tend to multiply and become unruly and leave bare patches of dead, brown leaves through the summer after display- these include Daffs, snowdrops, crocus and bluebells. So, these are best planted in areas of woodland or grass. Good bulbs for the borders are tulips and alliums of which there are many varieties – a nice idea with tulips is to plant ones that flower at different times so that you get a continuous display of colour through Spring – this particularly applies to early tulips when there is not a lot of colour about. An excellent early tulip is called ‘exotic emperor’ – Large white flowers.  {P.s. if you find you’re not getting success with snowdrops year after year, then try buying them ‘in the green’ [i.e. when they’re growing leaves] in the new year and plant them then}.

A fantastic garden to visit for a day out in late Jan/ early Feb is Brandy Mount Gardens in Alresford, Hants SO24 9EG. It has the national collection of snowdrops and Daphne [flowering slightly later].