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the coming months, I've already started planting bulbs for the 2010 crop. The ground has been forked over thoroughly, some well-rotted garden compost added and ridges made - a particularly good idea with soil as heavy as mine. I've planted bulbs of two

as the pustules erupted from nearly every leaf.The pears too had rust - a sight I've only ever seen a handful of times (and that includes working as plant pathologist at RHS Wisley for 11 years, examining thousands of decrepit plants each year). Presumably it

Every year I grow masses of garlic. It's one of the easiest and most satisfying crops to grow, and my entire family adores it. My son has just lifted the autumn-planted crop. This is mostly my favourite variety, 'Albigensian', with four or five

slightly (a symptom of waterlogged soil), but this shouldn't inhibit the bulb growth. The reason for my success is simple - I plant the cloves on a ridge, and I'd suggest that anyone growing garlic in similar conditions do the same. The ridge height varies

. The tasty golden bulbs of 'Setton' onions are perfect companions to the 'Red Baron' I planted in the autumn.I'll also be planting more 'Solent Wight' garlic, adding to earlier plantings. This is a relief, as I had been worried that I would end up planting

shoots 10cm high, apply sulphate of potash at 100g per square metre.March: Continue weeding and hoeing but take care not to damage bulbs. Planting may continue though bulbs will be smaller.April: Keep up regular watering in dry weather. Use a fungicide

hand would one day grow into a whole bulb of garlic they were dumbstruck! And we're all very excited about harvesting lots of potatoes from the single seed potato we planted.For so many kids you can see a whole new story start to unravel, and the great

planted some miniature daffodil bulbs in large pots, and finally, sowed some rocket (I couldn't resist growing some more, even if it does grow rather slowly from such a late sowing).So, not a bad day’s work: I sowed some lunch ingredients for the family

foliage, stunted growth and sometimes they tunnel into the stems. (They can also tunnel into onions bulbs.) A disaster for leek lovers such as myself.This year, in an attempt to outwit the moth, I planted my leeks in a more out-of-the-way spot than usual

worthwhile. A short row of raspberries just 1.2m long has produced several pickings, used to add tasty home-grown vitamins to my morning bowl of cereal. Blackberries are now taking over, and I'd thoroughly recommend thornless varieties to give regular