Flowers

Plan now for next summer’s flowers by sowing alyssum, Iceland poppies, cornflower, larkspur, Scabious, Antirrhinum and Clarkia.

Sow in wellprepared, permanent positions, thin to a few centimetres apart when seedlings appear and look forward to a fine show between springflowering bulbs and the later summer annuals.

Carnations can be increased by layering, a good way of getting more plants of favourite colours. Layering is a method by which new roots are developed before a cutting is removed from a plant, so the shock of transplanting is reduced.

Ground layering is done by bringing a stem down to soil level and holding it in place with a wire loop or heavy stone. Before putting the stem in position, make a cut about 1cm long and a third of the way through the stem.

The soil under and over the cut stem should be rich, with some fine gravel added. Patience is the secret of success with layering, especially if shrubs such as rhododendrons are layered, as they can take a year or more to form good root systems.

Spring bulbs will be appearing in garden centres, so buy early to get the best selection.

Daffodils should be the first to go into the ground. Any bulbs that have been in the same spot for three or more years may need to be lifted, divided and replanted in replenished soil. Compost dug in well and added bone dust helps. Although the usual advice is to plant bulbs in twice their depth of soil, in fact, soil type should be the guide. In light, sandy soil, plant bulbs at three times their depth and half that in heavier ground. Tulips like lime in the soil, whereas daffodils prefer a slightly acid soil.