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I'm passionate about growing garlic. I successfully grow lots of garlic at home, despite the fact that I garden on a very heavy, clay soil.Garlic thrives in a well-balanced soil that is fairly loose, so the bulbs can expand properly. It does less

to have passed. All was relaxed and gorgeous.I've always loved under-planting with drifts of bulbs and was bowled over by a stunning, snow-like drift of narcissus beneath a flower-packed cherry. The effect was breath-taking. Having worked for the RHS

. The tasty golden bulbs of 'Setton' onions are perfect companions to the 'Red Baron' I planted in the autumn.I'll also be planting more 'Solent Wight' garlic, adding to earlier plantings. This is a relief, as I had been worried that I would end up planting

display is lovely, but there is a problem I need to address. The soil along the drive is thin and inclined to get compacted, and some clumps are rather congested. A few bulbs are producing leaf and no flower, a phenomenon known as  'blindness'. But, if I

January, some of the raspberry canes were already in growth and the aphid population in the greenhouse was thriving. But the bulbs seemed further behind than usual. One solitary snowdrop was in bloom, with no sign of its companions, and the daffodils

its way through the frozen ground and came in to bloom, all on its own. I have planted hundreds of daffodil bulbs in the same spot, but no others have shown even the slightest hint of appearing quite so early. It has been out, looking delicately

lightening - which actually made the house shake. Then came huge hailstones, which temporarily flattened the hellebores and spring bulbs. Luckily, because there was very little soft new foliage about, nothing seems to have been seriously damaged

This week at the Chelsea Flower Show there are thousands of gardeners admiring out of season daffodil blooms in the show gardens and floral exhibits.In order to get their daffodils blooming at this time of year, growers force the bulbs to grow using

-fruiting winter cherry, a mini skimmia and some beautiful silver-leafed cinneraria. A trip to the garden centre added to the loot with winter flowering pansies, some small variegated ivies and a job lot of spring bulbs.I don’t really like winter cherries, worse

Gold', which seems to produce flowers from January onwards. I also plant tulips, ideally the richer-coloured varieties, which seem to be less readily available to buy by the bunch. Daffodil bulbs are unbelievably good value, especially if you buy them a