Sow your free seeds

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

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

Spindly to splendid These are my ‘Earthwalker’ sunflowers ...

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

With every great growing season beginning before the first signs of spring, now is the perfect time to start thinking about when to sow your seeds for colourful, tasty harvests later in the year. Alth