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November is the month to plant tulips. There are few things more wonderful in this world than to cradle a tulip bulb in your hand; the rustling wispy-crispy skin and the smooth, slightly clammy flesh. Supremely organised and efficient gardeners

and stewing apples for the freezer.Anyway, now it's mid February all of a sudden and I still haven't got those last couple of bulbs in. I'm going to plant them now though, even if it is late. I believe in the old adage 'nothing ventured, nothing gained

We've had a mixed garlic harvest so far this year - the bulbs I planted in spring did nothing and were a total waste of time. They were probably the worst I've ever grown (or, dare I admit it, the worst I've ever seen).However, the bulbs I planted

My garlic bulbs arrived this week. Two bulbs of 'Christo' and two of 'Albigensian Wight', I think, although I'm not sure about the spelling of the last one as they're already in the ground. There are no flies on me this week - I'm a woman possessed

and every year they re-appear, flower their socks off and then disappear amongst the rather untamed grasses, mallows and nettles that make up the bank. Next time anyone moans about the price of bulbs and corms I think I'll have to whisk out this picture

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

, so I keep the agapanthus pots outside to enjoy for as long as possible before carrying to the winter shelter of my unheated greenhouse.Many of the tender bulbs I grow outside in pots form attractive seed heads, and patient gardeners may be tempted

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

I do love the garden in October - especially in the sunshine. In the early Spring it is all about hope and waiting: all that mulch and neatly tidied brown border. A month or so later and there is green stuff and bulbs all over the place. Then we