GARDENING

The weather can still be fairly mild in December, and as long as there is no frost it is still not too late to plant bulbs. With such a huge diversity of colours and shapes, bulbs are ideal for creating striking designs in the garden.

• Bulbs will grow well in any soil with good drainage
• Bulbs do not like wet feet. Make sure that the soil is not too wet and is not waterlogged at the bottom of the pot. A layer of stones or gravel at the bottom of the pot helps to achieve a good water balance
• You should bring your pots indoors if there is a severe frost, but pots need some protection from cold and draughts even in normal winter weather. The bulbs must not be allowed to freeze or dry out
• If parts of your garden are a bit bare, you could create an interesting feature by planting bulbs in pots. The first bulbs flower early in the year
  Pots

The nice thing about bulbs in pots is that you can experiment and use them in different ways. The composition is almost as important as the type of bulb and the design of the pot or planter. Planting groups of the same bulbs in different pots creates a subtle effect, which can be enhanced by grouping the pots together. Plant generously, as a full pot is far more effective than a pot with just three or four bulbs. The pots can be shifted, swapped and rearranged until you are satisfied with the result.

If you want to create a dazzling show of colour in one large pot or container that will last throughout spring, you could try layer planting. Different varieties are planted in layers in one large pot so that they flower in succession. The variety that flowers last should be planted first (bottom layer). The pot is then filled layer by layer in the order of flowering, so that the top layer consists of the bulbs that flower first.