Ask Leonie

If you would like to ask a garden design or planting based question do get in touch on gardens@mailonsunday.ie

QEvery year in spring I regret not having planted more interesting displays. My garden looks great in summer, I have lots of pink and white roses and a border with lavender. In autumn I have a lot of trees with colour such as Japanese maples. Spring however always looks a bit boring, especially because the roses are bare. Can you advise on anything I could plant to make the garden more impressive at this time of the year? Louise, Limerick

AYour garden sounds lovely. A good collection of roses is so pretty in the summer months. As you pointed out, in the winter months roses are not the most visually appealing and though you have lovely autumn colour, this won’t be visible in spring. If I were you, I would consider underplanting the front of the roses with masses of spring flowering bulbs. Don’t just go for the obvious ones like yellow daffodils but rather take your cue from the existing scheme – you have pinks and whites, and then you mentioned the lavender, so purple too. These will all work well together to form a soft romantic scheme. Consider adding in a scattering of white daffodils instead as a starting point. Narcissus ‘Bridal Crown’, pictured, has an incredible scent or Narcissus ‘Ice Follies’ blooms prolifically. Then add some colour interest in keeping with your scheme. Iris ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ (Reticulata) is a pretty pale purple. For a stronger colour accent, try the scented Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Woodstock’ which is a stunning maroon shade. The key to all these is to plant them in informal drifts of the same plant – the more the merrier. Happy planting!