Grow your free seeds

Make more thin-rooted perennials such as Japanese anemones, phlox and hardy geraniums with this method of root cuttings. Lift a clump of your chosen plant with a garden fork, select the best roots and

While light levels are low, you might be holding off sowing herb seeds until the warmer months are here. But if you’re feeling impatient, why not grow a few microgreens like basil, coriander and parsl

Lucy Hutchings looks at what you can be doing in the vegetable garden now, to get ahead of the game in the spring

Parsnips roots will have reached full size by now, so you can begin harvesting them whenever needed. To get them out in one piece, loosen the soil around the roots with a garden fork beforehand, and i

How to carry on growing food over winter ...

Wild rocket is hardier and more strongly flavoured than standard cultivated rocket, and once established it tends to be perennial, giving you repeated harvests with very little fuss – the perfect crop