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Most lily bulbs are sold in spring, although some, such as Lilium candidum, are sold in the autumn. This is a time when mould can thrive, so check them carefully when you buy to make sure there are no signs of it - an infected bulb can easily spread

A fungal disease weakens the plant and can seriously reduce its flowering performance. The brown spots eventually grow together and develop grey centres. Infection is caused by air or water-borne spores entering the plant through damaged leaves. In wet weather the fungus spreads ...

Scarlet beetles (6mm - 8mm long) with black heads eat the leaves, flowers and seedpods of lilies and other members of the lily family. Don't mistake them for ladybirds. Between April and September the beetles lay eggs on the undersides of leaves. After a week they hatch into redd...

Follow Carol Klein's video guide to cross-pollinating two daffodil varieties using a pen. springMore advice on growing daffodilsForcing narcissiCreating a daffodil containerLayering bulbs in a potDaffodils blog, by Pippa GreenwoodBrowse a variety

Sarah Raven demonstrates the most effective method for picking tulips from the garden to ensure the best display indoors, without inhibiting next year's growth.MayMore advice on growing tulipsTreating tulip virusLayering bulbs in a pot

How to plant hyacinths in a pot.How to layer bulbs in a pot.Planting up a Christmas pot.Creating a container of fiery winter colours with dogwood, fern and skimmia.Making a Christmas wreath.Planting up a festive container with cyclamen and cineraria.

Spring bulbs look particularly impressive when planted informally in lawns. Many varieties of daffodil and crocus are perfect for growing under turf, and will multiply over the years to produce even bolder displays. For the greatest impact, use a

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

If you want a spring-flowering display to go on as long as possible, plant separate layers of different varieties of bulbs in one pot. All you need to create a display which flowers in succession is a large pot and a variety of bulbs

There's such a huge range of daffodils available in bulbs catalogues it's often hard to know which varieties to choose. Browse our pick of 10 beautiful cultivars for inspiration.Daffodils are some of the most reliable spring bulbs, coping well