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. But the disasters were beyond my control. The cabbage white caterpillar invasion springs to mind, not to mention onions that simply wouldn't dry off, thanks to the horrifically wet summer we had. This time of year is also perfect for planning how to manage the plot

beautifully that anyone who saw them passed comment. It's a lovely variety to grow and the fruits did look fantastic, but I can't tell you what they taste like!My third 'failure' is less severe. This year my onions are decidedly patchy performers. I've got a

, and there, at No.10, was the surname Zuccini (proudly held by 17 families!)If this list is to be believed, there are 59 people in the UK called Garlic, 2,843 Onions, and even more Leeks. Pepper is popular, at No.2, with 4,919 families, but top of the heap

time to swell. This same pathogen attacks leeks, chives, and sometimes onions. The undersides of my garlic foliage became speckled with yellow patches that burst into orange rust pustules, resulting in a poor crop that simply wouldn't store through

Keep harvesting root vegetables as they mature, including parsnips and leeksOrder seed potatoes, onion sets and shallotsStretch netting over brassicas to protect them from pigeonsCover clumps of rhubarb with buckets or terracotta pots to force early

Plant out leeks and brassicas raised in a seed bedSpread mulch around beans and other crops to help conserve soil moistureNet developing soft fruits to protect them from birdsSpray apple trees showing signs of powdery mildew or scabWater onions

their eggs on the leavesKeep sowing parsley to ensure a continuous supply Cut down unwanted raspberry canes at soil levelSow cabbages to pick as spring greensHoe a little fertiliser into the soil between rows of onions as you weedPeg down strawberry runners

the crawling female winter mothCut off whole trusses of unripe fruits from outdoor tomatoes before they're hit by frost and ripen in a sheltered spotPlant out spring cabbagesDig up onions and lay them out in an airy space to dry before storing

Sow sweet peas into deep potsTransplant evergreen shrubs and conifers to new sitesFlowersSow peas in lengths of guttering under coverPlant out onion sets in rowsCarefully dig away grass or plants growing close to fruit treesFruit & vegPlant canna lilies

foliage intact for six weeks after flowering FlowersSow dwarf and climbing beans in deep pots or cardboard toilet roll tubesPlant new asparagus bedsContinue planting potatoes, shallots and onion setsFruit & vegMake mini-cloches from empty plastic bottles