Louise Curley celebrates spring’s homegrown and low-carbon blooms, showing how to pick for months and arrange them in garden-gathered style

A s with so many things in life, ...

There’s something very relaxing about watching a bee busying about its work on a warm summer’s day… the gentle buzz as it meanders from bloom to bloom. However, there’s more at play here than just gar

early bumblebee and the four carder bumblebee species have medium-length tongues and feed from thistles, comfrey, flowering currants and alliums. Meanwhile, the short-tongued bees, such as the solitar

As well as being a visual feast, a garden can become a fragrant haven, says Heloise Brooke, head gardener at the National Trust’s Calke Abbey in Derbyshire. Here, she advises on plants to include for year-round perfume promise

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