Not too soon to think about daffs!

Maybe it’s the very odd weather we’ve had, but spring doesn’t seem long ago – as we now head into autumn! Yet here we are, in September: the schools are back, the nights are drawing in rapidly and there’s a chill in the morning air. It can only mean one thing – time to think about bulbs! Yes, yes – I know there’s still a lot to enjoy in this year’s garden. Indeed, our feature on page 16 features some wonderful late-flowering perennials that will keep gardens looking bright and cheerful all the way to the first frosts. Every garden, and its wildlife, could benefit from them. But it was another feature this week (page 20) that caught my eye: daffodils! Not only that, daffs with a difference in that these are not standard bright yellow. Instead you’ll find they complement the more traditional varieties wonderfully – I can’t be without a good blast of yellow daffs (beds, pots, anywhere really) to really announce the arrival of spring but a few more subtle tones will work very well too, I think.

Elsewhere I’d like to mention one of my favourite pages, our Garden Gems on page 10. Every single week you send us some ingenious tips for the garden, many of which can help other readers to save money. I mention it now because we’re all going to need to tighten our belts in the coming months and your tips to fellow readers can be invaluable sources of ideas. Please keep them coming!

Finally, a lawn update: mown for the first time in months! Amazing what a bit of rain can do. Have a great gardening week!