Going daffy

These small white-flowered bulbs, whose blooms are so welcome in January, have done well this year in gardens and in deciduous woodland in the countryside. They are just starting to go over now, the petals beginning to dull and fall.

Like all bulbs, it is best to leave them alone for a few weeks to allow the leaves to feed the bulbs, within which embryonic flowers will already be beginning to develop for us to enjoy next year.

While the snowdrops have been good this year in our garden, only a few of the crocus have opened in the dry sunny bed that holds tender herbs in the summer. It is a good spot for them normally, but this year only one or two have appeared, which is disappointing.

The problem could be the bulbs getting disturbed when the bed is filled with herbs in late May, since the crocus bulbs lie only a few centimetres below the surface of the soil. I must try harder this year to dig more carefully.

Miniature daffodils are out in force, however, some already blooming, other fat with buds that will open within days.

advertisementI love these small flowers; they are so reliable, will grow almost anywhere in the garden and are never affected by wind or heavy rain.

This is in comparison to the other daffodils we have in a semi shaded spot in the front garden. February gold is also reliable, they are almost always in bloom by the end of the month after which the variety is named, but their thin, elegant stems are easily knocked over by spring showers. It is best grown through a twiggy deciduous shrub such as a red-stemmed cornus, which with give unobtrusive support when needed.

In order to encourage the production of the reddest stems, the cornus will need to be cut hard back at the end of March. This is not a problem for the daffodil since this particular one has usually finished flowering by then.

March is such a lovely month in the garden, when everything is beginning to sprout and bud.

The beds have been cleared of winter waste and the damp soil is dark, a perfect background for the fresh greenery and early flowers.

Geranium oxonianum spring fling, for example, is beautiful at this time of year with small leaves splashed and marked with green and yellow, pink, cream and brown.

The foliage is on short stems held just above ground level, often nestling amid the cut stems of last year's growth. It is best grown with other herbaceous perennials that have hardly started growing at this time of year, so that its colours and form can be enjoyed without distraction.

Later on, the stems will elongate and the foliage will turn plain green with fairly insignificant sprays of pale flowers.

Then it will need support from other plants since the stems flop on their own but for now it is the prima ballerina dancing alone.

Weekend catch-up MARCH is a good month to start sorting out herbs, either ones in pots or, if there is room, a herb bed in the garden.

It is too soon to start thinking about tender species such as coriander, tarragon and basil, but shrubby species such as sage and thyme can be cut back to encourage short neat growth. Take all stems back to new growth and protect overnight from frost with fleece or a black bin liner.

Hardy herbs such as chives and mint can be divided. Chives will stay compact, but the mint family is invasive and best grown in a pot - even if it is going in the garden.

Use a large container such as an old plastic bucket filled with earth, and plant the mint into it. Sink the bucket into the growing spot and cover with soil to hide its edges. This will help to prevent the mint spreading to a certain degree, although there is some satisfaction in knowing that nature will eventually win and a few years' growth will see the mint break free from its plastic bounds.