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, but my thoughts are turning to the Mediterranean, and summer holidays. I like to imagine what I'll be growing and eating in the summer: masses of zingy tomatoes, sweet and crisp peppers, juicy cucumbers and buttery salad leaves. Oh, and warm ratatouille

Every year I grow masses of garlic. It's one of the easiest and most satisfying crops to grow, and my entire family adores it. My son has just lifted the autumn-planted crop. This is mostly my favourite variety, 'Albigensian', with four or five

planted some miniature daffodil bulbs in large pots, and finally, sowed some rocket (I couldn't resist growing some more, even if it does grow rather slowly from such a late sowing).So, not a bad day’s work: I sowed some lunch ingredients for the family

[brightcove exp=1463233149&vref=1601200825]I hope I'll get a chance to go off and have a long hard look in the plant marquee and really enjoy some of the gorgeous plants. I'll probably end up with a bootfull or two, just to add to my own garden when I get home.

-on algae and the general debris that accumulates over the growing season.So that is why wet weather can sometimes bring advantages. Now, with the naturally softened layer of gunk more easily shifted I am out there, starting to get to grips with all

This week at the Chelsea Flower Show there are thousands of gardeners admiring out of season daffodil blooms in the show gardens and floral exhibits.In order to get their daffodils blooming at this time of year, growers force the bulbs to grow using

and buddleja.The caterpillars can destroy plants' foliage in a matter of days and can literally be seen to swell in the process. Luckily, my one cultivated verbascum has so far escaped their attentions, but a buddleja and several of the wild mulleins growing

’d suggest going by yourself. If your family is anything like mine, discussions can get rather heated — we all have strong and differing views about what we should grow and which cultivars taste best!

woody I’ll check the wires more regularly and make sure I remember how quickly plants grow in warm and wet conditions.It’s definitely worth checking the wires on any staked fruit trees, as if left too long they can kill or seriously deform the tree

Last year I ripped out an old strawberry bed as the plants had gone past their best. As if by magic, I was sent several new strawberry varieties to trial. Of course, my son soon had his eye on the plants and suggested he grow them instead of me