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to make a list. Things I need to do before spring: (i) A huge pile of manure has just arrived and I need to get that shovelled onto the borders. (ii) I have to get supports into the borders before things start growing - luckily we live in some woodland so

Think of a vegetable that sums up Christmas. Easy - except that to make things a bit more difficult I am withdrawing the noble sprout from the equation. So that leaves the humble spud and the noble parsnip, and, as far as I am concerned, the latter

the ground. (I love dandelion leaves. There're so crunchy and refreshing after a winter of meagre salads. The trick is to pick them before they flower, after which they can taste bitter.) Then the nettles and wild garlic appear (which together make a

that need doing, before those little green shoots in the border suddenly crack on and need attention. It is amazing how forgiving a garden can be: if you dig foundations and make a mess now, the grass will recover and the plants will bounce back by summer

if I leave it until the suggested time of 'after the first frost'. It's true that a zapping by freezing temperatures will make for better sloe gin, but me, I'm going to simply pop the sloes in the freezer. It has exactly the same effect and because

There is something special about one-offs, whether you are in an art gallery, shopping for shoes or in the garden. Something that does its own thing always has extra appeal.So it was with great delight that we watched as this little daffodil edged

I reckon that spring is in the air, albeit intermittently. The daffodils have been stirring (in tandem with the snowdrops!) and I have the urge to spring clean the greenhouse.A good clear out makes a lot of sense - it's good to make space for all

of Gardeners’ Question Time, talks endlessly about his apple press. His evangelism has converted me to presses, which are a wonderful way to use up those less-than-perfect fruits.You can press the whole apple, but I always chop mine in half, to check

anything too deeply - especially plants like this violet that is making the effort to grow already.As I have said before I make a lot of compost here but there is never enough to mulch the whole garden so, every other year I buy a trailer load of the stuff

I suppose I am very, very lucky to have known Geoffrey Smith and worked with him, but right now I just feel sad. Somthing is now missing for me, and indeed I know for many millions of us. Gardening has lost its Head Gardener.Geoffrey was better than