Plant your daffodil bulbs now for a grand show in spring

The smell of autumn’s in the air so it’s time to sit down in a quiet corner of your garden, patio or outside space and reflect on the things that have worked, and haven’t worked, this year

The smell of autumn’s in the air so it’s time to sit down in a quiet corner of your garden, patio or outside space and reflect on the things that have worked, and haven’t worked, this year. September is a great planning and planting month so start ordering those new roses, shrubs and other plants that you need. Autumn is really the best time for planting… the soil is still warm and the seasonal rains will get plants established before winter sets in.

A simple but effective new loo’ for the patio is to take up one of the slabs and fill it with thyme. This acts as an additional garden feature, andt tyme also releases a lovely pungent scent when the tiny oval leaves are crushed. It also helps attract both bees and butterflies into the garden.

The daffodil has become a well-loved flower everywhere with its early blooming and bright colours celebrating the arrival of spring – and now is the time to plant your bulbs. With more than 50 species to choose from there is a size for every garden or yard, and while the most common colour for daffodils is yellow, they also come in pink, white, orange, lime-green and in some bi-colours. They are easy to grow from bulbs, just plant in a sunny or mostly sunny location with well-drained soil and see that they have at least 25mm of water during the growing season. Once the foliage begins to wilt and die, they can be mowed over with no harm to the plant. They can be planted in borders, naturalised in grass and in containers for spring flowering alongside wallflowers and sweet william.

Now is also the perfect time to move or plant evergreen and coniferous plants. When moving evergreens do make sure that you retain a good ball of undisturbed soil around their roots and plant them no deeper than the original depth. Firm them in well and water well. It’s also the best time to lay a new turf lawn. It will establish very quickly, but do keep an eye on it during the winter. You can also sow grass seed now for a new lawn or patch a worn area.

As the weather turns autumnal, bring houseplants back inside and if you are planning ahead for the end of the year celebrations then it’s time to plant hyacinth bulbs in pots – your local garden centre has a great selection to choose from (which you can purchase using National Garden Gift Vouchers). Once planted put in a dark place for 10-12 weeks after which time you can bring them into the light to ensure you have a fragrant Christmas flowering.