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You can never have enough lettuce in summer, but sowing directly into the soil takes up valuable space in the garden. Keep a regular supply growing by sowing seeds in lengths of plastic guttering: short, 1m lengths are convenient and easy to handle

could use a pre-marked board for accurate spacing.Thin out the weaker seedlings to give your plants room to grow, so you're left with just one plant every 10cm.AdamIn warmer districts and on light soils, try to sow the parsnip seeds in February and March

around the roots.Trim off a good section of the roots with a knife.Cut the root into short lengths (around 2.5cm) and push these vertically into a seed tray, of compost, thick end up.Cover the seed tray with a thin layer of grit to improve drainage

. Garden fork Sharp knifeLarge potsGritty compost mix made from equal parts grit or perlite and potting compostLabel and pencilDecember - January30 minutesUse a garden fork to lift the whole plant out of the ground gently, taking care not to damage its

.AdamLightweight equipment can also be suspended out of the way. Storage boxes - plastic or wooden - can be stacked to make the most of the space.More on garden shedsGarden shed blogs, from Gardeners' WorldGardening tools blog by James Alexander-SinclairMore garden DIY

and even dieback. Prune out affected parts of the plant and destroy. Healthy plants are less prone to attack, so make sure you water regularly and mulch around them to conserve moisture in the soil. Space out your plants to avoid over-crowding and thin out

beds weekly Around the gardenTie in shoots of clematis and climbers to supportsPlant out chrysanthemums for autumn flowersPrune overgrown Clematis montana after floweringFlowersHang pheromone traps in fruit trees to control pestsThin out congested fruit

, they don't need much space to grow, so you won't need to thin them out. They also grow over a long period, so you can harvest the leaves in winter and early spring.Cut-and-come-again salad leavesBush tomatoes are easier to grow than cordon varieties

.Scatter your mixed cactus seeds over the surface of the compost, taking care not to sow them too thickly.Gently sprinkle a thin layer of silver sand over the seeds, covering the whole surface of the compost.Leave the pot in a greenhouse or on a warm windowsill

, as this can be a fiddly job. Then sprinkle a thin, even layer of fine compost over the seeds, ensuring they're not disturbed.Cover each pot with clingfilm - turning them into mini-propagators, which keeps the compost damp and aids germination.Label the pots