With thoughts of spring colour on my mind, I’m planning to introduce some bulbs in grassed areas, hoping they will naturalise, or mulitply, over the coming years.

The priority now is to get them planted while the ground is still workable to give them a chance to get established.

Bear in mind when choosing a grassed area to plant bulbs, you will not be able to mow for at least six weeks after flowering ends, to allow the foliage to die back naturally.

But you can transform areas of grass that are not regularly mowed into colourful spring carpets.

For larger areas buying bulbs in larger quantities is more cost effective and gives a better effect when planting so bulk buy in hundreds if possible.

Choose crocuses, anemones, hardy cyclamen or narcissus make sure you check the height for taller or shorter grass. To get a natural look, scatter randomly and plant them where they fall.

Dig a hole with a trowel or a bulb planter to three times the depth of the bulb, shallow planting will weaken the bulbs.

Another method of planting is to lift and roll back a section of turf, fork over the soil underneath, scatter bulbs, then replace and tap it back in place with the back of a rake.

Smaller bulbs, like crocus are ideal for this method.

Planting winter containers

As well as bulbs in the ground don’t forget a few bulbs in your winter containers for a longer display.

Try to use as large a container as possible, add some drainage to help them avoid sitting in the wet. Broken up old polystyrene plant trays are good for this.

Also raising the container off the ground on to bricks or pot feet will help.

Mix some slow release fertiliser with multipurpose compost and part fill your pot, adding your bulbs with the largest ones first.

Add another layer of compost and the smaller bulbs, then plant up with your chosen plants firming in as you go, water well but you can let the compost nearly dry out in-between watering.

Try a combination of the following for a good mix of foliage and flowers, euonymus, heuchera, heathers, cyclamen red and white, violas and pansies.

You could also try a one colour/plant theme which looks very effective.