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of course - a really cold snap will set in at the end of February for two or three weeks and finish us all off. I daren't check the weather forecast.Nonetheless I'm starting to grow tomatoes from seed this week. They always take such a long tome to get going

. But I love pumpkin curry, pumpkin soup or even just mashed pumpkin with bacon.We grow three varieties. The first is a big orange number called ‘Vif d’Etampes’. It keeps well into the winter, but once cut we have to eat it for at least a week. The second

the time to eat my asparagus is getting closer.For best results, you should grow asparagus in a nutrient-rich bed with good drainage. I made a raised bed, packed it with a mixture of soil, well rotted manure plus a little sand  to ensure good drainage

.This year I’m growing a couple of different varieties. One is rather straggly, but does crop phenomenally well. Its massive golden flowers are set against a backdrop of pure green leaves. Unfortunately I don’t know the variety name, as the packet is long

to pests and diseases, and (most importantly) much quicker to crop.This is where they become exciting: aubergines are normally quite tricky to grow. They're best raised in a warm greenhouse, and if you sow seed later than March, you’re in danger of losing

the dead bits of rosemary and hope it pulls through.In the meantime, my annual herbs (basil, coriander and flat-leaf parsley) are coming on well. These I grow in grow bags with the tomatoes, along with more chives (which I once read can help improve

This has been a very productive year on my veg plot. Most of my favourite crops have performed extremely well, with good yields of delicious, fat vegetables. But, I have to admit, the leeks have been very disappointing.  I’ve never known such a miserable, skinny crop. Is it just ...

as growing plants. Last year I planted some seedling rhubarb plants from an organic veg plant supplier, but seedlings were only available of the popular 'Victoria'.We expect a lot from our rhubarb, so it's important to dig plenty of rich organic compost

germinated.I've recently installed some raised beds, which should make growing root crops easier. I'm also growing parsnips and carrots in woven polythene planters. Filled with a mixture of some sandy imported soil, a bit of the native soil and a little well

platter of sandwiches. We both agreed that we felt a craving for greenery at this time of year.It might be too cold to grow your own salad leaves in the garden right now, but I'm tucking into lettuce, baby spinach, rocket leaves and a whole lot more