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Now the chaos of Christmas is over, I can settle down to some serious shopping. In January and February I like to get all my seed and plant orders underway; it's usually the perfect weather to stay indoors, warm and cosy, contemplating the season

, never a fan of vegetables, chose Tomato 'Ailsa Craig' as "unbeaten for flavour, perfect for growing in an unheated greenhouse".The list goes on, and with 100 tempting crops my seed and plant order has now grown to such an extent that I'm going to need

Last summer I discovered a twining, tender climber called Lophospermum, or lofos. I bought two varieties, 'Burgundy Falls' and 'Summer Cream' (both pictured left), as plug plants from a mail-order seed company. I grew my lofos under cover, in 7.5-10

. In terms of value, a single perennial could cost you, say, £5.00 to buy, but you could pick up a packet of Godetia Dwarf Mixed flower seed for just £1.39, and grow 1,000 plants! Yes, 1,000 seeds in a packet, and other hardy annuals offer similar great value

luciliae creates a blue haze under trees or naturalised in grass. If you do plant it in a lawn, don't mow too early. Give it a chance to set seed and you'll have even more to enjoy the following year. Height 15cm.Chionodoxa luciliaeLiving up to its common

Also known as a slip, a cutting is taken from a healthy plant by means of scissors or a knife, and placed in a growing medium in order to create a new plant.

A scavenging insect of the Dermaptera order. Earwigs have long, narrow bodies and pincers at the rear. They may damage plants, especially those with dense flowerheads, as they can provide it with food and shelter.

The common name for tiny members of the Acarina order. They're distinguished from insects by having eight legs and no antennae. They may cause damage to plants, and are best controlled by chemical acaricides.

The practice of reducing the number of plants in a bed or container to provide more room for growth. In fruit production, to reduce the crop of fruitlets early on in order to produce larger fruits for harvest.

Empty glazed pots that aren't frost-proof, and move under coverSend off for mail-order seed catalogues and start planning seed ordersScoop fallen leaves and rotting plant debris from pondsOrder summer-flowering bulbs such as lilies and gladioliGet hold of some