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Last year I sowed all my seeds in the first week of January, eager to get my brand new garden off to a flying start. Everything was sown at once - from Eryngium leavenworthii to tomato 'Gardener's Delight' and my front room looked like a badly run

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 golden rule of growing root crops is to sow them direct in the ground, not in seed trays as I did with my radish. If you're starting out don’t grow complicated crops like celery or onions from seed – stick to salad leaves, tomatoes and courgettes (which I

As container-grown fruit and veg start to crop, it's important keep your eye on the ball to ensure they stay productive. I've just harvested a small batch of French beans from my late container sowing as part of the Grow Yourself Healthy campaign

I've a confession to make: my efforts at growing veg in pots, as part of this year's Grow Yourself Healthy campaign, haven't been a great success. The French beans I sowed indoors germinated well, but as soon as I moved the pot outside, Sid

on, so I hardened them off quite abruptly by putting them outside.Against all odds, my chillies burst into new life and vigour. I repotted them in fresh compost and sowed seeds of red clover around the base of their stems, to act as a green manure. I

the better, as far as I'm concerned.I've still not found time to sow any salad leaves this year. Luckily, there's plenty of self-sown wild leaves in the garden. The hairy bittercress I introduced last summer has made itself at home, politely growing