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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

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

fragrance and clumps up rapidly. Prefers full sun.'Minnow'Named 'Spring bulb of the year 2011', 'February Gold' has perfectly proportioned, eager-looking little flowers, with swept-back golden petals. It grows up to 30cm tall and it's blooms last for weeks

to cover the bulbs completely.Walk over the turf to firm it down, making sure it's level with the rest of the lawn. Then water the area generously.More on bulbsForcing narcissiLayering bulbs in a potHow to plant hyacinth bulbs in a potBrowse spring-flowering

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

the hole 10cm - 15cm deep and place the bulbs at the base of the hole. Fill around the bulbs with soil taken from the hole, ensuring that some of the leaf is above the surface.AdamDon't remove the leaves from your snowdrop bulbs. Leave them to die down

them in pots. Grow the bulbils on until the following summer, then plant them out where you would like them to flower. Be patient; it can take up to three years before they start producing flowers.Lily plantPotMulti-purpose compostLate-summer to autumn

Watch Sarah Raven's video demonstration of how to plant allium bulbs in the dry garden at Berryfields, with advice on the ideal location, soil condition, and planting depth.autumnMore advice on growing alliumsHow to collect allium seeds

February - April20 minutesDaffodil bulbs x10Celandine, Ranunculus ficariaCorydalis, Corydalis flexuosa x225cm potJohn Innes No. 2 compostCrocksPlace a layer of broken terracotta pot crocks into the bottom of your container. Fill the pot with compost to around 20cm

There are many plants in flower in February that can be used to create an instant spring pot display. Daffodils and primulas go together beautifully, and work well with the contrasting foliage of Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' and a brightly