I am always pleased to shrug off the cold, long days of winter and welcome the kaleidoscope of bright blooms that appear through  March, April and May which really do  put a spring in my step!

This year I planted more miniature daffodils and other bulbs than ever before and it has paid dividends. Narcissus Tete-a-Tete shows it charming, dainty, yellow face in early spring and continues to flower for many weeks. The flowers come individually and often in pairs, hence the apt name meaning a conversation between two people. Just 20 – 30 cm tall they look so pretty in clumps in any border and the clumps will gradually expand over the years. These bulbs are so popular they have become the most widely grown plant on the planet.

I grow a whole range of other narcissi in the garden so that there are daffodils flowering for almost three months (starting in January and continuing to April.) Another favourite if February Gold which invariably comes out in March despite its name.  It is a medium sized plant which naturalises well in wilder areas although I also grow the wild type, Narcissus obvallaris, commonly known as the Tenby daffodil.

The other stunning harbinger of spring is the tulip and I grow a myriad of these too and can’t wait for each variety to unfurl its deliciously coloured petals as the weeks go by and these too can span many months usually from March to late May.  With a real penchant for orange I have an army of vibrant orange Ballerina tulips adorning the front path and other orange varieties (T. Menton and T. Orange Emperor) appearing elsewhere, so if you come to my garden bring your sunglasses! There are so many forms of tulips available now that there is something for every taste and position including rockeries. Especially intriguing are the frilly Fringed Tulips and the curled and twisted Parrot Tulips. 

Do remember that if you want a spectacular spring splash you need to plant spring flowering bulbs in the autumn. It is always worth the effort because the surprise they bring in spring is rewarding in spades.

Despite being very busy now with my parliamentary commitments I do still keep a veg garden going and one crop I would never be without is the potato. Monkton Elm garden centre had an excellent selection of seed potatoes on offer to provide early new potatoes right through to main crop. From each tuber at least six will grow (they can even be grown in tubs) which makes this another richly rewarding garden treat. With lashings of butter and a sprig of mint you can’t beat them!