The breeding background of the brightly coloured giant flowered primroses and polyanthus offered for sale in late Winter and Spring is a little obscure but they are thought to be hybrids between various species of the Primula family, including our native primrose and cowslip and the dark leaved purple flowered Primula wanda. Although similar in appearance there is a technical difference between primroses and polyanthus; the former produces a rosette of individual flowers all of which appear from the base of the plant whereas the latter produce several thick stout stems and the florets are produced in a cluster at the top of the stalk.

Hybridisation has produced a spectacular range of colours in this crop and there are many beautiful bi-coloured varieties with exotic markings on the petals; flower size has also been enhanced but as is often the case with hybridisation certain characteristics of the parents have been sacrificed for flowers with wow factor. Usually fragrance is one of the first attributes to be lost, e.g. most cut roses have little if any perfume. This is not necessarily the case with primroses as many of the new strains retain a strong sweet fragrance. Hardiness, however, has been lost in many strains and if you want a plant which will survive more than one season you should look out for hardy strains such as Primrose “Husky” and Polyanthus “Crescendo”.

But even the more tender strains are capable of withstanding a few degrees of frost, so they can be used for brightening up gaps in containers, window boxes and hanging baskets. If possible try to deadhead them on a regular basis, and remove any yellowing leaves in order to discourage grey mould which can spoil plants when the weather is consistently cold and damp. They are also excellent in unheated Conservatories or porches at this time of year, enjoying the cold nights and high light levels.

Growing plants from seed is one of the most satisfying elements of gardening and yet many people are scared to give it a go, or give up too quickly after disappointing initial results. There are some fundamental rules which must be followed, but if you stick to them success is almost guaranteed.

Seed must be fresh; buy just before you sow and don’t use old seed that has been hanging around for years! Always use a specific seed sowing compost, never use potting compost which is too high in nutrients which can inhibit germination. Again, the compost should be fresh, or at least stored in a dry position; heavy wet old compost always gives poor results.

Use new, or thoroughly washed plastic seed trays (wooden trays are difficult to sterilize completely) . Fill the seed trays half full with compost and then level and firm LIGHTLY! with a flat object to produce an even surface. A riddle can be used to sieve the compost, producing a really fine seed bed.

The most common mistake when sowing seed is to sow too thickly; the result is overcrowding which leads to weak leggy seedlings and “damping off”, a disease which can spread like lightening through the whole tray. Small seed is the most difficult to sow and some seeds are like dust! Begonia semperflorens (Bedding begonia) is one of the smallest at 70,000seeds per gram, followed by Lobelia at 25,000 seeds per gram. Tap the packet very gently, at the same time move it over the surface of the compost so that it does not end up all in one spot. The second most common mistake is to cover with too much compost. In fact vermiculite (a lighweight volcanic particle) is much better than compost for covering as it doesn’t form a “cap” which seedlings can struggle to break through, and it also allows some light to reach the seed which is essential for some seeds. Having sown your seed, fill a fine (but not too fine!) riddle with vermiculite and gently tap the riddle over the seed tray. As soon as the seeds have disappeared from sight STOP! Water the seed tray GENTLY using a can with a fine rose attachment,taking care not to flood or puddle the surface and place in a suitable temperature (check back of seed packet). Very tiny seeds e.g. Begonias are best left uncovered but misting with water and/or covering with a pane of glass to prevent dehydration will be required. As soon as seedlings are large enough to handle they can then be pricked out into trays or pots to grow on.

After the excesses of Christmas many people turn to dieting, jogging or going to the gym to try and lose those extra pounds, but lets face it, its not much fun and at the end of the day you may have lost weight but achieved nothing else. Wouldn’t it be better to find something that will keep you fit and give you something to show at the end of it for all your hard work? With all the economic doom and gloom, plus the unmissable Olympics and Jubilee celebrations it looks like the “staycation” is going to be a popular option again in 2012, so its a great time to get your garden looking great for the Summer.

Gardening projects can take many forms. A vegetable garden, orchard or greenhouse maybe? All of these will require plenty of energetic digging and clearing, burning up the calories, and costing you nothing! OK, you may have to fork out for plants and seeds but that can wait until March when the bank balance has had chance to recover, and there will eventually be a payback when you harvest your own beautiful produce in the Summer.

How about a new patio for your outdoor entertaining? This is probably only an option for DIY enthusiasts but will involve plenty of exercise and will potentially add value to your property. Environmental projects are becoming increasingly popular and a great way of enticing the kids away from their games consoles! Digging out a pond, making a water feature, creating a bird feeding station, or planting a wildflower meadow are just a few ideas.

Its also a great time to take a look at your garden, and tackle that “slow growing” conifer that you bought 20 years ago and is now 15ft high and starving your border from light and moisture. Make the most of the mild weather, get out into your garden and get stuck in!

Good soil is a precious and wonderful thing but needs to be managed correctly to keep it in good shape. Just as poor soils can be improved by good husbandry, good soils can be be ruined by bad practice. Organic matter is the key to soil fertility and it comes in different forms. Garden compost, leaf mould, well rotted farmyard manure, seaweed, crop debris and bagged compost from the Garden Centre are all good examples and should be added to your soil at every available opportunity. Organic matter will improve the water retention of thin sandy or chalky soils and help breakdown heavy clay soils into something more manageable. It also encourages earthworms which digest it and in the process create fissures and channels in the soil improving aeration and drainage.

Soil contains a network of channels called capillaries through which water flows and the action of frost, freezing and thawing, expands these capillaries, forcing the soil particles apart, and breaking up the soil. This is why farmers plough their fields and gardeners dig their vegetable patches over in Autumn, exposing as much soil to the action of frost as possible. The benefits of frost can easily be lost however by attempting to cultivate soil too early in the year when it is still cold and wet. Far better to wait and lose a week or two in cropping time than to damage your soil. Mechanical rotivation is a great help on a big plot but, again, only attempt it when the soil is not sticky otherwise damage will occur. Frequent rotivation, particularly with shallow soils, can lead to the formation of a “pan”, or hard impenetrable layer 8″ or so below the surface. This can impede drainage and restrict root growth. Farmers use a “subsoiler” to break up the pan, and serious (and fit!) gardeners use a technique known as double digging, in which not only the top spade full of soil is turned over, but also another spade depth below, taking care not to mix the subsoil with the topsoil.

Finally, mulching soil with bark or organic matter will help retain moisture, keep weeds down and improve worm activity.

Witch hazels (Hamamelis) are much underused shrubs and are probably better known for the astringent lotion used to dab on cuts and bruises than for their beautiful display of flowers in the coldest, darkest days of Winter. In fact they brighten up both ends of the year with a fiery display of autumnal leaf colour, which can range from soft butter yellow to vivid orange and scarlet.
The most commonly grown variety is Hamamelis mollis “Pallida” with a compact habit and a prolific display of sweetly scented sulphur yellow spidery flowers. Growing to just 1m in height it is probably the smallest variety available.

Most other varieties are hybrids between H. mollis and H. japonica and are usually labelled as Hamamelis x intermedia. Most of these are more vigorous and can reach 3m in 10years. H. x intermedia “Arnold Promise” has an award of garden merit and has bright yellow, richly scented flowers and outstanding orange/red autumn leaf colour. “Westerstede” is another excellent golden yellow variety, and “Orange Beauty” has unusual burnt orange flowers. “Firecracker” has bright orange red flowers and “Diane” has lightly scented red flowers, followed by red autumn leaf colour.

Witch hazels prefer an acid soil, well drained but water retentive in Summer. They tolerate shade but flower better in a bright open position. Dig in plenty of compost at planting and mulch with compost, bark or leaf mould to retain moisture in Summer. Little in the way of pruning is required, but can be carried out after flowering if your plant is getting too big. They can be underplanted with other early flowering plants such as snowdrops, primroses and hellebores for a display that will lift the spirits long after the Christmas glow has worn off!