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Follow Sarah Raven's step-by-step video guide to creating an attractive display of paper-white narcissi for the Christmas table. Sarah gives tips on compost, planting depth and how to support the flowers.autumnChristmasMore Christmas projects

, and use a fungicide if necessary.Control dieasesBefore being seduced by a pretty picture, consider which rose is best for your garden. Old-fashioned varieties rarely flower all summer long, while modern ones do. Order bare-root plants in summer

Climbing flamesAs summer progresses, late-flowering clematis come into their own, and for me they're as much a part of summer as long, balmy evenings and cricket.There are few plants that give me as much pleasure or colour for so little work as late-flowering

Sarah Raven demonstrates how to plant up a container of spring-flowering bulbs, narcissus, crocus and tulips, in our video guideautumnspringMore autumn planting projectsPot of azaleas and campanulas.Early spring-flowering container with thyme

bulbsLarge potsCompostMarch - April20 minutesJuly - AugustHalf-fill a large pot with compost, add five or six lily bulbs, then cover them with more compost. Keep in a greenhouse or sheltered spot while developing, tying tall varieties to canes

and looks wonderful planted with woolly thyme, golden-leafed sage and low-growing rosemary.MayJune - September20 minutesSerrated-leafed lavender, Lavandula x christianaWoolly thyme, Thymus pseudolanuginosusGolden-leafed sage, e.g. Salvia officinalis

Sweet peas are the classic annual climber and look just as lovely in pots as they do in a border. 'Spencer Mix' has large flowers and long stems, good for cutting, but 'Cupani' and 'Painted Lady' are particularly good as their short stems give good

.Continue to add bulbs until the container is full and gently push them down so that they are all in good contact with the container.Cover the bulbs with a 10cm layer of your compost mix. The bulbs should grow into a fragrant display if watered regularly

Surround your roses with strongly scented companion plants, such as lavender, thyme, rue and garlic chives, to help keep aphids at bay. While gardeners are attracted by their beauty, rose pests are deterred by the herbs' strong scents. March - April

Jekka McVicar's 10 companion plantsJekka McVicar's organic herb garden achieved a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show 2009. We caught up with her at the show to discover her top 10 herbs for growing as companion plants.Companion planting