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putting our hens to good use in the vegetable garden. I now regularly march them out of their run to the plot, where they scrabble around and polish off a lot of grubs, including slugs. It's great for them as they get a change of scenery and lots

will suffer if the compost dries out in hot weather.May-OctoberMay-October30 minutesCelery leaf, Apium graveolens x2Chives, Allium schoenoprasum x3Mint, Mentha spicata x1Purple shiso, Oerilla frutescens var. purpurascens x3Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis x1

, never a fan of vegetables, chose Tomato 'Ailsa Craig' as "unbeaten for flavour, perfect for growing in an unheated greenhouse".The list goes on, and with 100 tempting crops my seed and plant order has now grown to such an extent that I'm going to need

Now the chaos of Christmas is over, I can settle down to some serious shopping. In January and February I like to get all my seed and plant orders underway; it's usually the perfect weather to stay indoors, warm and cosy, contemplating the season to come.I do an awful lot of shop...

I was pleased with this year's Christmas harvest – much of our Christmas dinner was allotment produce. King Edward potatoes from the garage were roasted, Charlotte new potatoes from store were steamed. Greens took the form of braised leeks and, of course, the ubiquitous Brussels ...

, the measurements given here are imperial.i) 1 pint waterii) 6oz sugariii) Pared rind of 2 lemons, plus extra juice from 1 lemon (no rind)iv) 3-4 handfuls blackcurrant leavesv) (1 drop of green colouring, which I think is optional)Heat water and sugar together

and are inexpensive.3.9m scaffolding planks, 3.7cm thick, x 2SoilOrganic matterPliersHand sawJigsawTape measureRulerautumn - winterRemove the metal banding from the ends of the planks with pliers.Using a hand saw, cut each board in two to give one 2.3m and one 1.6m

My father tells a story of when he was in the army. A particularly pompous officer lifted the lid of a dish of vegetables and snorted "carrots are not an officer's vegetable" before storming off.I mention this in light of a brief discussion I had

It's so hot I'm having to water my vegetable crops up to twice a day at the moment. Everyone on the allotment is desperately trying to keep the plants productive and, more to the point, alive.We're lucky to have taps dotted around the site, which

The heat has been incredible lately. I feel like my vegetables are cooking in the ground where they're growing. I'm used to the fact that all that soft, tender foliage is like a big advert to passing pests and pathogens, but the intense heat is a