Plants for a Purpose: spring containers

There’s nothing like a spring container to celebrate the fact that we’ve turned the corner, leaving winter behind us. From bright yellow daffodils that yell ‘Spring!’ to more subtle narcissus that whisper the change of season, or from the lush green of ferns to a sweet-shop display of tulips, there’s a spring container for everyone. And the beauty of a container (a small one at any rate) is that it’s portable so you can move your pot of joy to wherever you’ll see it most – right on your front doorstep, or just outside the kitchen window so you can gaze at it while doing the dishes! Our choices include recommendations from the Gardeners’ World team and familiar faces from across the gardening industry.

• Monty’s tips for planting up a spring container 
• Step-by-step guide to making a daffodil pot display
• Create a spring bulb tray

I am a big lover of bulbs. I love daffodils, especially the more refined ones and ‘Arctic Bells’ is my particular favourite. The tubular or cup-shaped flowers, of the palest yellow, sit on top of thin green stems. They are delicate and beautiful.

• Narcissus bulbocodium ‘Golden Bells’

This plant really shines in spring, with its pale lilac flowers with their star-shaped blue centre. It looks great against spring bulbs, and the veined foliage provides a lush backdrop.

• Omphalodes cappadocica ‘Cherry Ingram’

Narcissus ‘Tête-à-tête’ –