Hyacinths inside out

September ushers in the next gardening season as the summer garden starts to fade and autumnal tints are already visible in some trees.

- with DIARMUID GAVIN

Gardeners are busy getting spring bulbs into the ground, using their imagination to picture how they will look when they emerge from their winter dormancy.

If you can't wait for spring, there are some bulbs you can plant now that will be in flower in time for Christmas. This is also called forcing bulbs, encouraging them to flower ahead of schedule.

Choose plump bulbs that show no signs of rot or shrivelling and wear gloves when handling them as they can be an irritant to skin. You will also need some bulb compost as your growing medium.