Spring is in the air

Spring is in the air, throw open the windows! We should be out in the garden getting some fresh air and exercise. There is plenty to do from clearing winter debris - twigs on the ground and hedge cutting - as it is time to smarten up your gardens and get ready for planting very soon.

Jobs to do:

Sow seeds inside: such as aubergines, brussels sprouts, celery, cucumber, fennel, kale, lettuces, melons, nasturtiums, marigolds, peas, rocket and tomatoes – if you haven’t  already.

You can begin to sow seeds outside too but to be on the safe side I would cover them with cloches to give them a better chance. You can sow, onion sets, parsnips, potatoes (if they are chitted), spinach, rhubarb(crowns) and strawberry plants.

Chit your seed potatoes: this means place each seed potato separately onto a tray or in egg boxes and leave them somewhere cool and light. They must be kept away from any chance of a frost. You will notice that in a couple of weeks they will start to sprout shoots, when this happens you can plant them out into the ground.

Get your beds ready: Remember in order not to ‘do your back in’ only do the tiring jobs for twenty minutes at a time, such as digging. I have dug mine and added loads of manure and compost to raise the height of the bed, as last year it was so water logged and everything drowned. I am determined to give everything a better chance this year. Positive thinking. So digging an adding compost/manure are things that need to be done over the next couple of weeks.