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it into growth up to eight weeks early. Top up bird baths with fresh water dailyRecycle your Christmas tree at the local council tipCheck closing dates for any seed catalogue discountsAround the gardenSquash mistletoe berries into apple tree branchesCut down old

the glass with bubble polythene is a cheap and effective way of keeping your plants snug and protected from draughts.Collect and compost autumn leaves Cut back suckers growing around the base of treesVisit garden centres to choose bulbs and bedding Around

beans and courgettes, which produce inedible, gargantuan produce at the earliest opportunity.I must grow more vegetables that are suitable for storing. Potatoes, butternut squashes, onions and shallots are great storers. They're no trouble to grow

.There's something really inspiring about setting yourself up with seed trays, pots, compost and a big box of seeds indoors, as the rain lashes against the window pane.I like to sow seed of a few plants indoors. Tender crops, such as courgettes and butternut squashes

The most daunting thing about growing vegetables for many people is the time and effort it will require. While it's true that regular attention is the secret of growing top-quality crops, you can keep on top of things by doing 'key' jobs little

hat and socks were de rigueur for the appropriately attired allotmenteer. And, admittedly a week later than scheduled, the great tidy up began.As I predicted, everything had been turned to mush by the previous frosts; courgette plants, squashes, beans

things that don't need regular picking. So this year I'm saying 'no' to courgettes and 'yes' to butternut squashes.I'm planning a couple of beds of onions which always seem to do rather well on my plot, as well as a small bed of shallots. I've had great

need the bed for my butternut squashes which I've potted on and put outside to harden off before planting them out later on this month.It's sad to see the kale go, but next winter's crop is already underway. This time I'm giving the trendy black kale

The weather this year has been far from ideal for raising squashes - my plants are still undersized and you'd almost need a magnifying glass to see the fruits! Courgettes and marrows, though, have had a brilliant year, with the marrows reaching epic

, so they won’t get squashed any more, and give them a good feed. The feed should be reapplied every few weeks, while the leaves are still green. Regular feeding helps the bulbs to build up a store of nutrients for next year, so they’re far more likely