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in the damp grass. Other times they are a distant yelp, to remind me that they’re still a sizeable population in this part of deepest, darkest East Dulwich.Today, though, I find they’ve been raiding the food store. Luckily this isn’t really my larder, it

soil as possible and store the energy-packed tubers in a dry, frost-free place until spring. I have decided to try a bit of an experiment this year and am going to leave some of my dahlia tubers in the ground. Instead of digging them up, I will cover

through my Seasonal Checklist…1. Wrap pots or bring insideI’ve lost count of the number of terracotta pots I’ve lost in recent years that have been cracked and damaged by frost. To avoid adding more to the tally I’m emptying any not in use and storing them

, so they won’t get squashed any more, and give them a good feed. The feed should be reapplied every few weeks, while the leaves are still green. Regular feeding helps the bulbs to build up a store of nutrients for next year, so they’re far more likely

to make chilli powder and paprika. A plentiful seed to swap with friends or to store for the following year at the bottom of the fridge.ChilliesSow one or two beans where you want plants to grow, in open ground or containers, from mid-May to early August

Save your own seedRoll down the tops of the packets each time you use some, and store any left over at the end of the season. Keep packets in a glass jar with a sachet of silica gel in the salad drawer at the bottom of the fridge. Don’t bother saving parsnip

. Seeds are small, cheap and plentiful, so this is an ideal crop to share or swap with friends or family, or to store for a subsequent year.Four space-saving veg cropsSpring onionWhen grown on a small scale, this crop doesn’t need a chalk stream; just a