Gardening:
With the shortest day now behind us, thoughts turn to preparing and planting for spring growth.
The weather is now more settled with more balmy days rather than grey days. You can almost feel the energy in the garden. Seedlings are bursting from the soil, flowers are blooming and young fruit are setting on trees. The calming hum of busy bees is everywhere. With all this verdant growth now is a good time to apply side dressings of compost or sheep pellets.
Ripe for the picking
Asparagus, snow peas, beetroot, broad beans, carrots and parsnips and celery are all at their tender best this month. If you are lucky you may even be treated to new season's potatoes.
The veggie garden
If you have a warm, sheltered spot it could be time to bung in a few seeds of corn and french beans. Remember with all crops, small successional plantings are the key to avoiding a glut. For a family of five I would recommend sowing around ten seeds of each type every three weeks. Cucumbers, marrows, melons and pumpkin seedlings can also be planted. I have to admit I always buy these as single pot plants at the garden centre. There are so many interesting varieties to grow.
Scaloppinis are a round variety of courgette. They grow into what I like to call mini flying saucers. This can be helpful when you are trying to get a family of boys to eat them.
For all these plants dig over the area and add several spade fulls of rich compost and mix well. If you have clay soil create a little knoll. Plant on the top of this. Not only will this provide your plants with an expansive view of the garden but it will aid drainage. Allow at least one square metre between plants as these babies get big!
