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something stupid like try and walk on water. The froglets must have found their way to my drain during the dry spell in spring and got stuck.Ponds can be incredibly dangerous places for children, but there are alternatives to just getting rid. My mum

of pots and still have some daffs, crocus and 200 mixed alliums to plant, I may invest in some aquatic baskets to plant the bulbs in. Once I've lifted the slabs I can dig a few holes and lower them into the ground. My spring bulbs will be none the wiser

, elderflowers, blackberries and cherries.I cycle to and from work along a canal towpath. It's a lovely way to travel, and I feel somehow part of the seasonal shift throughout the year. I know spring has arrived when I see the first dandelions push through

acquired a 'mixed bag' of salad leaves in a trough I filled with soil last summer to see what weeds I could 'catch'. So far there's some orache, clover and fat hen. Yum.Nothing says 'spring' like the first nettle soup of the year. A small clump of nettles

-rich plants including achillea, astrantia, erigeron and verbascums.And, thanks to the warm, dry spring, the usual stalwarts of Chelsea - alliums and irises to name two - were few and far between. Instead, lavender, salvias, red valerian and geums took centre

far earlier than those sown in spring. Overwintering chillies can be a bit of a struggle in the UK though, unless you can offer them plenty of warmth and light (which I can't).Nevertheless, for the last three years I have overwintered chilli plants

the dog violet is a harbinger of spring. Right now, small clusters of heart-shaped leaves are taking on a renewed vigour while other plants in the garden die down. I can almost see the little flashes of deep purple that will dot the darkest corners of my

. I’d almost given up when two little seedlings appeared last spring. Sadly, they never flourished. The weather was very dry at the time (remember the drought?) and I took my eye off the ball. I failed my field roses through lack of watering

temperatures lead to flower drop, resulting in no crop at all. This is a particular problem for growers in the north, where spring takes longer to kick in and autumn is then only around the corner.I've only grown aubergines once before, and that was in a

, removing leaf litter and other debris. This will keep your pond healthy for frogs, toads and other pond life, and hopefully ensure our frogs make it through the winter, ready to give their populations a good boost in spring.