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The weeds are growing like mad this year. They seem to love the combination of spring showers and sunshine we've been having lately. Sadly, the fine weather is having as positive effect on the weeds as it is on me.Speedwell is one of the moist

There's a simple way to find out which summer berries are worth growing: eat them! Everyone has different taste, so what appeals to one person may not to another, which is why on the weekend of the 3-4 July, RHS Wisley is inviting visitors to taste

next year. So here are my allotment New Year resolutions for 2009:I must grow crops that don't require regular picking as I don't live close enough to the plot to get there more than a couple of times a week. That's just not enough to harvest runner

What a lovely spring to be growing things. The weather has been pretty near perfect — lots of sunshine and some lovely soft, steady rain to get it all germinating and growing well. Perhaps we've had a bit too much wind, and the temperatures at night

by their sheer size! Jerusalem artichokes get absolutely enormous - on average at least five or six feet tall (the best part of two metres) - and that's in a season! I've grown them for years and every year I am amazed by their general gusto and growing power

I'm not a great one for growing flowers on my plot. Maybe I shy away from raising flowering plants on the allotment because I grow so many in my main job (as head gardener at The Bath Priory Hotel). I've grown marigolds as companion plants

are best sown under cover to give them a good start. A few weeks in the greenhouse and they'll grow into big, healthy plants that should withstand the attentions of slugs once they've been planted out.Before I had my greenhouse, I had a production line

. I potted on my peppers and tomatoes, as they kept drying out in no time, their root systems filling the tiny pots. They're now potted into 2 litre pots and should grow nicely. I only grow a few tomato plants on the allotment, as we seem to get quite

down, completely rearranged the layout and changed all the lighting. It will be lovely when it's done. Anyway, all this activity has disturbed my routine, and the allotment is decidedly on the backburner.Having said that, the calm and serene quiet

Bank holiday weekend was a bit of a blur, it went by so quickly. I didn't spend it on my allotment I'm rather sad to say, especially as the weather was so lovely. But I did get lots of fresh air and exercise, and talked allotments with Laura, an old