It’s time to play the long game. Cecilia Cran already has her eye on a colourful Spring.

What to grow: Muscari Latifolium

As we come to the end of summer, now is the time to start planning your plants for the seasons ahead. Begin thinking about the different spaces you would like to bring to life – the foliage, textures and plant colour combinations you want to try. Getting seeds and bulbs planted in autumn is key to ensuring you create your perfect spring space.

This month, I’m planting my Muscari Latifolium – more commonly known as grape hyacinths (they look like perfectly formed little bunches of grapes!). These little cobalt blue flowers are fabulous and provide such a wonderful colour to any garden. I have to note that you are playing the long game by planting these, as they are considered an early spring flowering plant, so you can expect colour from around mid-March through to early May.

How to grow:

Muscari bulbs work well in pots or can be planted directly into the ground. For the purposes of this, I’ll refer to planting directly in the ground (but the same rules apply).

These bulbs like to be planted in sunny spots and prefer a sheltered space with well-drained, but not too dry, soil. A word of caution – think carefully where you would like to plant these bulbs, as they will come back each year and spread quickly.

Each bulb will give around one to three flowers that grow to around 15cm tall and create a fabulous effect when grouped together, so I tend to plant around five bulbs at the same time.

Once you have chosen the best location, dig a hole around 7-10cm deep and then space the bulbs around 7cm apart. Place the bulbs in, with the pointed tip facing upwards and cover with peat-free compost. Once the bulbs are planted, press down on the top of soil to ensure they make contact with the soil and then water.

Green escape: Cody Dock

To anyone who has not yet witnessed the joy of Cody Dock, I implore you to go and see the space. It is part of the Gasworks Dock Partnership, which is a registered charity and social enterprise formed to act as a vehicle for the community-led regeneration of Cody Dock.

As the area’s surrounds have rapidly received a facelift over recent years, this little corner of the Lower Lea River has remained relatively untouched, except for a number of passionate and ambitious pioneers who have big dreams for the area and have been committed to nurturing a wonderful and inclusive creative community.

It has so much to offer, whether you’re keen on gardening, the arts, wildlife, learning or volunteering, there is always something exciting happening. The area has so much to explore – from a wonderful little café and a gallery space (which runs creative sessions and also hosts exhibitions), an array of sculptures, their very own outdoor classroom space and their newly refurbished river boat the River Princess, which can be hired for community or commercial use.

The Gasworks Dock Partnership was awarded funding by the Green Recovery Challenge Fund to deliver a programme of citizen-led ecology surveys, clean-ups, restoration and habitat creation. Most recently, in July, they secured grant funding from Newham Council to build Cody Dock’s Community Forest Garden.

Visit codydock.org.uk to find out more.

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