WINTER TO SPRING 2009

The early Spring garden is my favourite time of year. I am so excited when I see bulbs bursting through the soil, reaching out and warmed by the rising sun. Buds are full and ripe, birds sing sweetly and the garden is full of promise. There is still the risk of hard frost, so don't be too quick about pulling off the vital protection that some plants have had over the winter. Even if you can't wait and you want to see the fruits of your labour, remember to cover up at night.

Early spring is the best time to apply a mulch. I use mushroom compost and put it on thickly. Remember to water the soil first if the weather has been dry.

Some of the brightest blooms make their appearance in the Spring. A clash of colours which would normally jar the eye, doesn't seem to upset. Cyclamen and crocus grow happily together despite their bright appearance.The lanes are smothered in narcissus creating a wonderful sight down country roads where they have naturalised. There is a veritable carpet of flowers in the parks under the shrubs and trees, such as spring flowering Prunus.

Looking good in the winter

A garden with good bone structure or formal layout always looks good in the winter. Good hedging and evergreen topiary add architectural interest. Some deciduous hedges like the beech Betula Papyrifera will retain most of their leaves and glow in the winter sun. Solid evergreen shapes stand out and keep a neat backdrop to the garden.

Come January and February, Dogwoods or Cornus such as Aurea, Siberica and Flaviramea look fantastic if they have been pruned hard and allowed to reveal their long slender coloured stems. Sarcococca has a wonderful scent and if planted by the house can be much enjoyed. Twin it with a climbing honeysuckle Lonicera Purpusii to really knock your senses out.