Nicola Stocken – Gardens photographer and writer specialising in magazine features of images and text

Spring Containers

Nothing heralds spring better than flowers, with many of the brightest thriving in pots for weeks on end

Spring in this traditional garden brings fresh foliage, blossom and the flowering of 2000 tulips

Come early autumn, and this 1.5 acre country garden sparkles with perennials, informally planted in garden rooms

During January, February and March, celebrate nature’s blues with baby bulbs, plucky perennials and showy shrubs

A hard January frost is sure to awaken the fragrant, spidery flowers on witch hazels to glow in the brittle winter sunshine

Even the darkest winter day cannot fail to be lightened by the sight of golden flowers on trees or fences, in pots and beds

Bringing welcome colour from winter into early spring, many flowering plants are easy and rewarding to grow in pots

Come winter, and look out for a select group of doughty flowers that, surviving snow and frost, lift the spirits

By April, this small London garden of borders, pots, woodland and parterre is full of tulips and spring flowers

Fragrant and purple in the summer sun, Hitchin Lavender fields peak in August with long rows of flowers to pick

High Beeches is a historic woodland garden where spring sees leaves unfurl on old trees and azaleas in flower

The Heritage Seed Library at Ryton Organic Gardens saves rare or threatened heirloom vegetables from extinction

Autumn tree colour, woodland, exotic plants, late perennial borders and lakes make Exbury a must for October walks

Tips from top designers and celebrity gardeners Chris Beardshaw, Raymond Blanc, Rachel de Thame, Alys Fowler, Andy Sturgeon, Kim Wilde

In December the festive season starts as homemade Christmas wreaths and garlands of evergreens are hung on doors