HAPPY NEW CHEER

by Adrienne Wild 30/12/2007

Chase away the winter blues with some of the finest first footers of the New Year.. they are easy to grow and can be bought in bloom for an instant fix

DUTCH IRIS
The Dutch iris (Iris reticulata) is brave enough to show its face even when the ground is covered with snow. This outstanding plant, which has earned itself an RHS Award of Garden Merit for its easy-care and reliability, has blooms that vary from pale blue to deep violet with central yellow splashes down the middle of each petal.
EXPERT TIP: Buy plants in bloom to boost your borders, colour up winter containers and stud rockeries. They love sunlight.
HOW MUCH? About £3 for a flowering plant at garden centres.

CYCLAMEN
Cyclamen coum will brighten up the garden from January to March and are a good plant to re-fuel fading containers with some lasting colour. They are usually pink but come in white and deep red too.
EXPERT TIP: It’s best to buy them during the growing season when you can select the most attractive. In borders plant them in bold drifts 5in apart, alongside aconites, snowdrops and crocus.
HOW MUCH? Named varieties £3.50 from West Country Nurseries (01237 431111,www.westcountrylupins.co.uk).

SNOWDROPS
One of the finest snowdrops is Galanthus atkinsii, which is also one of the earliest and tallest with robust flowers with long pointed petals, making it a good choice to mix with perennials and ornamental grasses.
EXPERT TIP: Snowdrops prefer the shade. Planted “in the green” – complete with leaves – about 4-5in deep, they’ll quickly thrive.
HOW MUCH? Three plants fro £7.50 from Plants for Shade (01963 32802, www.plants forshade.co.uk).

CROCUS
Crocus Ruby Giant is unaffected by wind and rain, which makes it an unstoppable plant. Once stirred into action, it remains in bloom for up to three weeks. It’s a good choice for a pot and creates vast carpets of colour in lawns and borders.
EXPERT TIP: Crocus performs best in a sandy, well-drained soil. And although they spread quickly, if you’re growing them in a lawn remember not to cut the grass too short or too early otherwise they’ll die.
HOW MUCH? From £3.99 for flowering plants at garden centres.

CHRISTMAS ROSE
Although known as the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger doesn’t always flower in time for Christmas – but you can be sure that it will be there at New Year and carry on blooming until April.  Potter’s Wheel is the best variety, with its immense white flowers up to 5in across.
EXPERT TIP: It’s a good choice for a sheltered border in dappled shade where its evergreen leaves can be used as a backdrop for dwarf spring bulbs and flowers. Mulch annually to maintain a moisture-retentive soil.
HOW MUCH? Plants from £5 at garden centres.

IRIS DANFORDIAE
You can bring a bit of sunshine into the garden as early as February with the brilliant canary yellow flags of Iris danfordiae. Plant them in clusters for best effect and use them for edging paths, rockeries and in containers.
EXPERT TIP: These plants will tolerate some shade but they really like the morning sun.
HOW MUCH? From £3.99 for flowering plants at garden centres.

ACONITES
Usually grown in great drifts beneath trees and shrubs, winter aconite with its buttercup-yellow blooms can really pack a punch and they’re a welcome relief after a long winter. You can bring its cheery sight closer to home too by squeezing in a few bulbs between paving slabs in the patio.
EXPERT TIP: Very easy to grow, winter aconites will thrive in sun or partial shade. When the plants die down in late spring they can be over-planted with shallow-rooted annuals providing that you take care not to damage the bulbs.
HOW MUCH? Around £3 for a flowering plant at garden centres.

GLORY OF THE SNOW
For a blanket of early spring colour you can’t beat Glory of the Snow (chionodoxa), which turns bare soil or gravel into a sea of blue for up to a month. They’re easy to grow, and are not fazed by severe weather. In fact the colder it is, the longer they last.
EXPERT TIP: It sometimes spreads aggressively so if you need to contain the plant, dig up the bulbs any time between June and August and replant the largest 3in deep.
HOW MUCH? From £3.99 for flowering plants at garden centres.

NARCISSUS
Solitary pure white blooms with trumpets have given rise to Narcissus cantabricus being commonly referred to as the petticoat hoop daffodil. Even when the weather’s bad this dainty little variety is often first off the blocks.
EXPERT TIP: Although ideal for beds and borders you should also grow a few bulbs in a pot and give it the protection of a cold frame.
HOW MUCH? Visit shows such as the Harrogate Spring Show from April 24 till April 28 to find suppliers (01423 561049, www.flowershow.co.uk).