Lasagne. I can hear what you said! To elaborate, bulb-planting in containers is now called ‘lasagne planting’. An explanation follows: This is the perfect time to start planning and planting your containers and pots for a good spring show. I love doing this – it’s all anticipation and lots of choice so I have to control the urge to buy far too many.

I use big pots – some as wide as 60cm and weighing a ton once full of compost – so getting them into the right position before filling them up is vital. The little pots are used for the ‘specials’ like Iris reticulata and species Crocus.

I also stuff them full. I can’t bear to see pots with a few measly things growing in them – rather leave the pot empty, to be honest.

Bulb-fibre is not really suitable for outdoor use. Fine for indoor paperwhites and prepared hyacinths, but not the right consistency for outdoor pots on its own.

You could mix it with gritsand as that would help. Usually I use John Innes No.2 or a multi-purpose with added John Innes already in it, combined with gritsand.

Bulbs like free drainage so the gritsand is essential, or you could use horticultural-grade grit, which I prefer to keep for dressing the pots. I also find that terracotta or ceramic pots work best with bulbs as they don’t hold the winter wet as much as plastic ones do. They are, however, a lot heavier.

Now to the lasagne bit. Basically, plant in layers. If you are having a mix of different types of bulb, plant the largest of them right at the bottom on a thinnish layer of compost. Crocks in pots are a debated issue – I use them, especially with stuff that needs good drainage – you decide!

Cover the first layer of bulbs with just enough compost to hide their noses then plant the next layer and so on until the surface of the compost is about 4” below the rim of the pot. Topdress with grit, label and water. If you choose to have all one species rather than a mixture, the same rules apply – stuff ‘em in in layers.

I can see disadvantages of having lots of different types of bulbs in one pot, though. Some plants are better planted when the weather is colder whereas others are happy planted in September. Also, there is usually a tendency for something to get swamped by something else. Then there is the timing issue. Do you want them to flower one after the other or all at the same time? Reading packets is crucial – for flower timings and for heights.

If you are planting into the ground, the rule of thumb is bulbs should be planted at three times their own depth.

Most bulbs need sun but not all. Cyclamen hederifolium (autumn flowering) and Cyclamen coum (winter flowering) are brilliant, tough little plants which thrive under the canopies of deciduous trees. Look for flowering plants or for corms of a really good size, though – some pre-packed ones are so small as to be a waste of time and money.