It’s seems strange to think of planting at this inhospitable time of year when the the grey days of winter are almost upon us. However we are coming up to Bonfire Night and this is the very best time to plant ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ broad bean seeds (see a ‘It’s time to...’) and tulip bulbs into the ground.

November may seem late for bulb planting, but tulips are prone to a fungal disease called tulip blight (Botrytis tulipae). Planting them in cooler temperatures lessens the risk of the disease taking hold. In fact tulips can be planted up until Christmas and they will still flower at the correct time and reach their full height.

The symptoms of tulip blight can vary from bulb rot, to grey-green lesions on the leaves, and it may even result in spotted petals. Remove and destroy any affected bulbs, but don’t add them to the compost heap. Discourage the disease by removing tulips after flowering (if possible) or by planting them in different places each year. Avoid buying or planting any bulbs that show blue mould. All commercial bulbs are treated with a fungicide, so wash your hands after handling. If you do get it, avoid planting any tulips for several years.

Tulips are such rewarding plants. They lift the garden to a different level in late-spring, and for this reason I concentrate on the later flowering groups. These include the elegantly curved lily-flowered tulips, the extravagantly ruffled parrots, the classic egg-shaped single lates, the later double-flowered forms, the fringed tulips and the green-tinged viridifloras.

Favourite ones include some hackneyed varieties including the iconic, almost-black ‘Queen of Night’ and its double counterpart ‘Black Hero’. I adore the striped white and green ‘Spring Green’ in shade. The shapely China Pink’ is highly elegant anywhere. The fimbriate white ‘Swan’s Wings’ is the purest tulip of all. I also adore the rich-red and green parrot ‘Rococo’ surely the most ornate tulip ever bred.

I also use Triumph tulips. These flower in the latter half of April so they extend the season (when mingled among later varieties) to four full weeks. In many ways these are the most important group of all, because Dutch breeders have concentrated their efforts on breeding them principally for the cut-flower market. As a result, these tulips come in a wide range of vibrant colours. They have thick petals and they resist the weather well.

‘Cairo’ is a relatively new bronzed orange and it unites red and yellow tulips, forming a warm spangled mix. ‘National Velvet’ is a rich-red with dark overtones. Orange is one of the best colours in spring light: it adds dazzle to dark tulips and it almost clashes with purples. So don’t avoid it, because many tulips come in subtle orange blends. ‘Ballerina’ is a soft-orange lily-flowered tulip that packs a scent. It is perfect close to a doorway. ‘Princess Irene’ (the only single early I grow) has purple-flamed orange petals. ‘Couleur Cardinal’ is more of a scarlet flushed in plum. These shaded-petal varieties are lovely.

Supplier: Peter Nyssen — tel. 0161 747 4000 (www.peternyssen.com).