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constructed, the box should last for years and provide a cosy home for generations of birds.Add old crops and bedding to the compost heapSpike lawns then brush grit into the holesCollect seeds from beans and sweet peas to sow next yearAround the gardenCut late

ones can be hidden by the foliage in just a few weeks. Pea sticks, bamboo canes, tripods or plant supportsSoft string or plant tiesApril - June (or as required) 30 minutes Twiggy stems that have been pruned from shrubs in winter make ideal 'pea sticks

planted in my children's plots, complete with home-made plant supports. According to my children "when the beans grow they can use the wigwams too", because "you did say that sweet peas help to encourage the bees to pollinate them".The wigwams are both

of hardy annual flowers Lightly clip box edging and topiary to neaten them upFlowersPush twigs into the ground to support tall-growing peasFeed strawberries with a high potash feedSow flowering companions in your veg plotFruit & vegPlant tomatoes in large

Grow early-maturing potatoes in a bag of compostFork compost into beds to prepare soil for plantingChit potatoes by standing them in trays in a warm bright position until they develop small shootsDig out problem weeds and emerging annual weeds

Hang old CDs among crops and from fruit trees to scare away birdsWater beans and sweet peas as they start to flowerGive extra water to ripening soft fruits such as raspberries, gooseberries, strawberries and currantsFeed tomatoes and crops

herbs to bring into a porch or grow on the window sillSow broad beans and hardy peas for early crops next yearCheck pears regularly to harvest when perfectly ripeVegetables to sow now include winter radishes, lettuce and salad leaves, spinach, spring

blinds and shade nettingSow sweet peas for early flowers next summerClear out old crops in pots and growing bags, adding them to the compost heapBring pots of late-flowering chrysanthemums under coverLine the inside of your greenhouse with bubble

Lift dahlia tubers or protect those left in the ground with a thick mulch of straw or barkSow sweet peas now for bigger, earlier blooms next yearCollect seeds and berries from shrubs and flowering plants that you want to propagateEmpty and clean out

Sow sweet peas and pinch out the growing tips of seedlings for bushier plants Continue harvesting chillies, peppers and other cropsReduce watering potted tuberous begonias to allow the top growth to die downBring pots of tender bulbs like agapanthus