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Doesn't it feel great to get your fingers into the ground? The weather has relented, the soil is warming and I've spent happy days outside sowing seeds directly in the garden. We're about three weeks behind on the season, I reckon, but nature always

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

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

by the hedge to harden them off before planting them out.We've had mixed results with broad beans. I usually sow them in autumn - trouble is that they need to get established as soon as they're planted otherwise the mice can dig them up and eat them. As well

that managed to escape the dreaded potato blight were enthusiastically hoovered up by the family months ago ("they're so much nicer than the shop-bought potatoes").But this year, having sown surplus seed from a Gardeners' World growing trial, I'm enjoying

, but my thoughts are turning to the Mediterranean, and summer holidays. I like to imagine what I'll be growing and eating in the summer: masses of zingy tomatoes, sweet and crisp peppers, juicy cucumbers and buttery salad leaves. Oh, and warm ratatouille

like rocket, watercress, and a range of warming mustard leaves. Baby spinach leaves provide more texture and flavour than lettuce too.Growing young salad leaves doesn't take much space and they're quick, only taking about a month from sowing to your

to grow, and get started. A greater range of young plants and seedlings are now available than ever before, providing a good alternative to anyone who thinks sowing seed is tricky. However, you certainly pay for the privilege of buying plants compared

A few months back I mentioned that I was sowing some dwarf French beans, for an early crop in spring. I adore these juicy, tender beans and would much rather tuck in to a home-grown crop than imported varieties, shipped all the way from Egypt

platter of sandwiches. We both agreed that we felt a craving for greenery at this time of year.It might be too cold to grow your own salad leaves in the garden right now, but I'm tucking into lettuce, baby spinach, rocket leaves and a whole lot more