MARCH can’t go by without mentioning daffodils, which for many of us signpost the end of winter and the beginning of a new gardening year.

Our garden is populated by dwarf Tête-à-tête, whose early appearance is as certain as anything is in the garden; they seem to survive any aspect, soil and weather and pop up without fail each February.

They also clump up and spread easily, we seem to have a lot more dotted about the garden this year.

Another old faithful is the early February Gold. This daffodil usually does as its name suggest and flowers in February, but for the first time I can remember the blooms were delayed and didn’t open until this month.

It is a delicate looking plant with long thin stems and leaves and an elegant yellow trumpet surrounded by similarly coloured petals. Its one drawback is a tendency to waver in March winds, making it best grown through deciduous shrubs or provided with support from twiggy prunings.

To extend the daffodil season in our garden, Tête-à-tête and February Gold have been joined this year by several new varieties of the genus. These didn’t do much last spring, a few flowers giving just enough of a hint of what they will be like.

Left in their pots and put in a cool spot to die back, they have all come through the winter and are now just beginning to bloom.

Fragrant Bridal Crown has up to three small, white double flowers on each sturdy stem with the first opening a week or so ago and more buds developing. Ice King is also white but with one large flower on each stem which opened a couple of weeks ago.

Bright white petals surround a central mass of creamy petals clustered within the trumpet and, grown in pots, this variety seems top heavy with a tendency to fall. Like February Gold, it is best grown among other plants in the garden for support.

The other new daffodils here, Dick Wilden and Tahiti, are still in bud and should extend the flowering season well into April this year. The outer petals of the double flowered Dick Wilden are clear yellow surrounding the deeper coloured central clump. Tahiti is even brighter with large double yellow petals interspersed with frills of bright orange. At the moment these two daffodils are just fat buds swelling at the top of their stems. As their earlier relatives fade, they will be a treat to look forward to.

Daffodil bulbs are planted in the garden in September, but March is a good time to buy them ready potted up for a splash of colour on the patio or in bare spots in the garden.

After flowering, they can be put out into the garden and left to die back naturally. Emerging herbaceous perennials will hide the fading foliage.

Weekend catch-up

NOW is the time to get broken fences and trellis sorted out before they are covered in climbers and are too difficult to reach.

It is too late to tackle any covered in plants such as early flowering clematis, because their flower buds are easily damaged, and also too late for sections covered by hedging, because birds will be starting to nest very soon if they haven’t already done so.

However, bare sections waiting for their coats of colour from later blooming clematis or fast growing plants such as hops and Russian vine can be mended or replaced now.

Plant fair... Newburgh Priory

FLOWER Power Fairs are running a specialist plant fair on Sunday, April 5, in the grounds of Newburgh Priory, Coxwold, near York, from 10am-4pm.

More than a dozen independent nurseries and plant growers will be selling a range of interesting garden plants and will be on hand to give advice and answer queries.

Newburgh Priory is the home of the Wombwell family and has limited openings during the year. Entry to the fair is £2.50 per person and also provides access to the 40 acres of priory grounds, formal garden and woodland walks.

The house will also be open from 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm. Teas and homemade cakes will be available throughout the day from the tearooms in the old priory kitchen.

Gardening TV and radio

Tomorrow.

8am, BBC Radio Humberside, Gardening Phone-in. With Blair Jacobs and Doug Stewart telephone number 01482 225 959.

9am, BBC Radio Leeds, Gardening with Tim Crowther and Joe Maiden.

2pm, BBC Radio 4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Chris Beardshaw, Pippa Greenwood, Anne Swithinbank and chairman Eric Robson help gardeners from Devon with their horticultural problems. Plus a report from the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew which celebrates its 250th anniversary this year. The gardening weather forecast is at 2.40pm. (Repeated from Friday).

Friday.

3pm, BBC R4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Chris Beardshaw, Bob Flowerdew, Bunny Guinness and chairman Eric Robson answer questions from gardeners from the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire border. Anne Swithinbank and Matthew Biggs visit the Temperate House at the Royal Botanical gardens at Kew and the gardening weather forecast is at 3.40pm. (Repeated on Sunday). 8pm, BBC2, Gardeners’ World. A new series, a new gardening year and a new garden for the Gardeners’ World Team. Toby Buckland, Carol Klein, Joe swift and Alys Fowler have moved from Berryfields to a new home, a disused rugby pitch in central Birmingham. The four-acre garden will eventually include woodland, an orchard and meadow, trail beds, bee and tropical gardens, greenhouses and a city vegetable garden – once they all get digging and planting. This week there is also advice on thrifty plant swapping from Alys and Carol is planning ahead with pots of tubers and corms.