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and preparing our beds for planting. This allotment business is not for the faint-hearted.I have a certain routine to preparing my beds for planting, which is dependent on my crop rotation plan. This way I know which beds to add organic matter to and which ones

, or a recent favourite, the fan flower (scaevola).But these large-flowered busy Lizzies kick many other summer bedding plants into second (or third) place. They're stunning! Find a spot they like, which is thankfully a shaded position that most other sun

Who could ever produce enough compost for all their needs? I remember watching the late Geoff Hamilton at Barnsdale week after week on Gardeners' World, using countless buckets of beautiful home-made compost. Every planting hole was filled

to encourage good cross-pollination between plants, each plant needs space to grow. This year each plant is at least 30-45cm (12-18in) from its neighbours, which should be enough.I'm trying a few varieties this year, including 'Swift', which is described as "an

certainly went by the book. I'm so glad we planted them - there's no finer fruit than the raspberry.I do have one regret, though: we should have planted an asparagus bed. It would be cropping beautifully by now, with tasty spears thrusting out of the ground

of paying pounds for tubers. Of course they take time to grow and mature, just like any bedding plant, but seed-raised dahlias form tubers too. That means they can get through winter and grow up again the following year.The main gripe I've got with the seed

revived, enthusiasm has soared and the plot is looking rather good. I've done an awful lot of clearing and weeding and now I've started digging over the raised beds. Garlic, broad bean and autumn onion set planting is only weeks away, so I thought I might

the right plant for the right place can be a difficult task, and the reality is that often the site we have is far from ideal.Take the left-hand border in my garden. A beautiful silver birch sits close to the boundary fence, but at about 10m or more

and turn a blind eye to other areas of the plot that need attention. My purple sprouting broccoli, for example, is now in full flower. I won't be using that bed until I'm ready to plant sweetcorn, so I may as well leave the blooming broccoli to provide

good had hoeing conditions this year, have we?Now it's high time for a good weed through the plot, which will also prepare the beds for my autumn plantings of garlic and onions. I usually hand weed - it's time consuming but very satisfying - alternating