Bulbs planted in autumn come to life now and deliver vibrant bursts of colour – a joy to see after the dark winter months. Daffodils (more on those overleaf) and tulips are enduring symbols of spring

The colourful displays of tulips are the main players in the formal walled garden at Westbrooke House

Pop bulbs in borders or pots now for stunning summer blooms year after year

I was born in the Bollenstreek, the stretch of land between The Hague and Haarlem in the Netherlands, famous all over the world for its bulb fields. My father was a bulb farmer who grew tulips, daffod

Start your summer show by ordering your tubers now to get the very best varieties

Erysimum Rysi Copper One of the definitions of a wallflower is that of a shy and awkward person with whom nobody wants to dance: I am sure we have all felt like that at some point in our adolescence.