Splashes of colour in the garden now lift the soul, enticing you that spring is just around the corner and all the associated hope and joy that it brings.

I am about to create a new bed on the other side of the garden (one I had intended to do last year, but didn't get round to it). There’s still a warmth in the soil for roots to start establishing, and since they’re heading towards dormancy, the need for any watering is reduced. It is informative, authoritative and will be a helpful source of information not just for gardeners in Scotland, but for anyone who gardens in a cold, wet and windly location.Although spring plants are not as flamboyant as those used in summer containers, you can still make a statement with careful plant selection. The information is well grouped and simple to understand with lots of lovely color pictures to help familiarize me with plants I had never heard of. Spring and autumn violet flowers; used as a colouring and flavouring agent in food and confectionery. If you don’t have a garden you can still volunteer with your local community garden, or help by placing some bird feeders in the local woodland. The scale of this project, which will audit an estimated 100,000 items, represents a major investment in managing and preserving our plant collections.

Position your container where it’ll get as much light as possible during the winter months to ensure plant foliage remains green and healthy.You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. Sadly with all the new regulations surrounding export to European Union destinations, we are unable to deliver to the European Union or Northern Ireland. Born in Scotland, RAOUL CURTIS-MACHIN developed a passionate interest in gardening from the age of thirteen. You can also ensure that your garden has a mixture of native plant species, with plenty of sheltered areas for birds to seek refuge.

To encourage a wide variety of wildlife to visit your garden, it is advisable to choose native trees and shrubs. Again, flowering period varies according to situation, but on the whole it comes into bloom slightly earlier than the ling variety.The feathery foliage adds an aromatic flavour to soups and vegetable dishes,the seeds have a spicy flavour. Make sure nature can access your garden by planting hedges instead of fences or making a 5-inch hole in the bottom of a fence panel so animals like the iconic hedgehog can come and eat your slugs - it’s a win-win situation.