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for clay soils and spring for sandy ones. However, I usually add compost to my clay beds now. It always bothers me that all the lovely nutrients in the compost are leached away by winter rains so I go against convention and leave composting until now.

was right and within a couple of hours the first shoots of the season were harvested, gently steamed and served with a knob of butter.The first harvest of purple sprouting broccoli, along with spring birds and emerging blooms have fired Paul and I up about

To say that I'm delighted with my new cold frame would be the understatement of 2008. You might recall that Paul made it one afternoon last summer from some old windows and a few banister spindles from our old staircase.Okay, it's not that new

Once spring is sprung it really does get going! My plot is a mass of potato leaves creeping out over the mounds of ridged earth, seedlings sprouting sturdily out of the ground almost as I watch. But of course, there's a hearty selection of common

, with little effort on my part.I don't know why I didn't grow asparagus, as it's really easy. Now I'll have to wait to next spring to plant some crowns, and then another couple of years before getting a decent meal out of them.

next year my plot will be free of aphids, brassica whitefly and countless other pests that survive mild winters, and multiply with a vengeance in early spring. Mild winters are a boon to many garden pests; pests such as whitefly can shelter in the folds

According to the papers it's been the coldest start to December for 30 years - an average of only 1.7° C.The cold weather has hopefully killed a lot of pests, but I've not been able to get on with many of my jobs on the plot. I've not been able

. 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

Buds are breaking and daffodils are emerging — slowly, but surely, spring is doing its thing. But I won't be shedding the thermals quite yet, as it's still a bit chilly first thing. My thoughts are turning towards planting, and I've been tweaking

at this time of year. In previous years, prompted by balmy weather in early spring, I’ve started furiously sowing and planting, only to find that temperatures plummeted shortly after — along with my hopes for the seed I planted.Carrots, in particular, are a