DIARMUID GAVIN

contemporary plant hunter in Bath who has a big collection.

Paul recommends growing them where they want to grow, ideally in a woodland setting but he says they are very adaptable. They like a bit of shade but they will also take full sun.

They tolerate damp soil but they don’t like to be left waterlogged. They can bake in the summer – they originate in mainland Europe where they get scorched each year.

What they do appreciate is a humus-rich soil so Paul recommends a good mulch every year using garden compost.

He concurs with the standard advice about always planting them “in the green”. He explains why this is – because the bulbs are so small, say compared to daffodils or tulips, they tend

MRS MCNAMARA

S.ARNOTT

to dry out and shrivel up. As a result they are much better bought in the green, having been dug up in full growth in February or March after flowering.

There are more than 3,000 named varieties of snowdrops collected by galantophiles and some of the very rare ones can cost hundreds of pounds per bulb. Many of these collectables aren’t suitable for the normal garden because they’re difficult to grow and require specialist conditions.

For example, some will only grow in glasshouses. For the average garden, there are a couple that Paul recommends.

‘Mrs Mcnamara’ is a vigorous, early flowering variety which will bulk up quickly. It’s relatively tall with big flowers and a distinctive green chevron mark. For

WENDY’S GOLD mid-season, go for the well known ‘S. Arnott’ which is taller and the flowers have a gentle honey scent. And for something a little different, he suggests ‘Wendy’s Gold’, a mid-season variety with yellow ovaries and markings.

Paul advises planting them en masse for full effect if you can and then letting them naturalise. After flowering, let them die down completely, or you can lift and divide them then to establish different clumps across the garden.

He also suggests you companion plant them with hostas, hellebores and other spring bulbs, such as wood anemones.

One of his favourite combinations is planting them with aconites, which flower at the same time, to create a lovely yellow and white planting scheme. Recommended suppliers:

■ Avonbulbs-co.uk

■ woodland-bulbs.co.uk

■ Get your greenhouse ready for the growing season. Wash windows inside and out to maximise light levels. Tidy up and wash out seed trays and pots.

■ Hardy gardeners can use the quiet time to spread mulch and compost on the beds.

■ In the fruit garden, net fruit trees and bushes if possible to prevent birds eating blossom buds. Finish pruning apple and pear trees, and you can also prune gooseberry,

Witch hazels provide a beautiful splash of colour in these wintry days. ‘Diane’ is a vibrant variety with rich red flowers with a light scent. Borne on bare stems, this shrub can be the centrepiece for your winter garden but it will also put on a good autumnal show as its leaves turn red and yellow before dropping. Witch hazels won’t do well on alkaline soil so unless you have neutral or acidic soil, this is best grown in a pot of ericaceous soil. A sheltered position in the sun or partial shade is optimal.

Hello Diarmuid

I hope you can help with an issue I have with a 50-year-old Lord Derby cooking apple tree.

It has provided me with fruit over the years, but about three years ago the bark started to peel off one of the limbs. It didn’t bear fruit so I assumed it must have a disease.

Then last year another limb started to peel and this time it seems to be going deeper.

I’m thinking of sawing off this diseased branch in the hope that it won’t go any further, but really without conviction. HELP!

I spray with winter wash in January and apply fertiliser to the root base each spring.

Mrs D.A. Hill Sandhurst, Berks redcurrant and blackcurrant bushes. ■ If you’ve let ornamental grasses overwinter, it’s time to cut them back now ahead of new growth.

■ Many of the berries are gone so hang a fat ball or bird feeder to keep birds going through the lean months before spring.

■ If you’ve got bare walls in winter, consider planting a winter-flowering climber, such as Clematis cirrhosa.

■ Start chitting early potatoes now.

‘‘

Some bulbs are very rare and each can cost hundreds of pounds