What a difference a week makes. Spring is finally here. Yesterday afternoon the wind swung round to the southwest, for what I think, incredibly, is the first time in three months, bringing much warmer air with it and the rain that’s also been lacking. This will get yesterday’s sowings – broad beans, carrots, parsnips and Read the full article…
The leanest time of year in the vegetable garden is not the depths of winter but now, in early spring. Stored produce is dwindling, past its best or has run out altogether. The same is true for crops that overwinter such as parsnips, leeks and kale. Thank goodness for sprouting broccoli, which is just starting Read the full article…
Famously, the default conversational setting of the British is discussion of the weather. Personally, I think the topic’s fascinating – our weather is endlessly changeable and surprising – but I suspect the national obsession may have more to do with inherent social awkwardness. In our defence, however, it must be said that we are also Read the full article…
Gardening tradition holds that you should always ‘chit’ your seed potatoes to give them a head start. In other words, get them a few weeks before planting can begin in late March and spread them out in shallow trays or egg boxes to start sprouting. The ideal spot is a cool, light room that is Read the full article…
I love tomatoes, perhaps more than any other garden crop, so it’s fitting that I should have spent much of Valentine’s Day sowing them. It’s now only a week later and tiny seedlings have already started to push through the seed compost. It’s the first major sowing job of my gardening year. I also sowed Read the full article…
