It is amazing to think about the fact that two weeks ago we still had a fair amount of snow on the ground. Now, the woodland floor of many of our garden areas are covered in a multitude of flowers, with more to emerge with the impending warm weekend. I know that we are just about to enter spring but I am going to ask you to fast forward and start thinking about fall. Yes, a gardener’s mind never rests. As we walk around in late winter and spring, it is the best time to make notes for fall bulb orders. By taking a weekly walk through a garden section such as the March Bank you can get a perfect idea of how you might layer bulbs and perennials to really maximize color in your own home landscape. It is also a great way to see the growing habits of plants both in flower and as the foliage matures. For example you may really like the yellow, buttercup-like flowers of winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) and enjoy its attractive foliage both in and out of flower but not like the fact that the plant can sow around in the garden. Public gardens are a great resource for guests to gather ideas that can be then be implemented at home; all without the toil and expense of an “experiment”. If you have not yet seen the winter bulb display try and visit soon—our snowdrops, snowflake, winter aconite and crocus will soon be yielding to the massing of blue glory-of-the-snow and squill.