How to plant lily bulbs in a pot

Spend an hour or two planting prepared narcissi in early autumn, and you’ll be able to enjoy their fragrant flowers during the dark days of winter. It’s important to buy bulbs that are labelled as suitable for forcing – popular varieties include ‘Paperwhite Ziva’ and ‘Soleil D’Or’. For an interesting indoor display, choose a glass bowl and fill it with gravel, glass beads or pebbles. Forum discussion: Am I too late to plant tulip or daffodil bulbs? Here’s how to force narcissi.

Bare-root (or field-grown) gooseberries are supplied over winter when plants are dormant. They will grow away well in the spring, and will crop after a couple of years. Read our guide to growing gooseberries. Before planting, stand the plants in a bucket of water, leaving them to soak for about 20 minutes. This will reinvigorate the plants and help them to establish successfully. Here’s our three-step guide to planting a bare-root gooseberry.

Agapanthus make fantastic patio plants and look particularly good grown in terracotta pots. Given a sunny spot and free-draining compost, they’ll start producing spectacular flowers in June, July or August, depending on the variety, and flower for many weeks. What to plant in August Although agapanthus are drought-tolerant you’ll still need to water your pots at least a couple of times a week through the summer. They’ll also benefit from a high-potash liquid feed once a week to promote good fl

If you’re growing a tree or shrub in a large container, you should replenish the compost every year or two. The ideal time to do this is between February and May. Doing so will improve the compost structure and provide a fresh supply of nutrients, which can be lost quickly in pots and containers. If you want to grow more plants in pots and containers, but aren’t sure what to grow, have a look at our top 10 plants for containers. For our pick of the best composts, take a look at 10 of the best