Fruit & veg

Sow courgette and squash seeds now so you’ll have seedlings ready to plant outside in early summer. Fill pots or large module trays with peat-free multi-purpose compost. Place one seed in each pot, ab

Artichokes: Sow 13mm deep in a seedbed, with around three seeds per drill. Leave 25-30cm between drills and rows. You can sow in pots instead – just be sure to use good-quality compost. Asparagus: It’

As winter eases and spring beckons, longer days bring the garden to life – and your growing year starts here…

Work your way through your borders, removing dandelion flowerheads before they get the chance to set seed. Flowers of dandelions are a useful source of early nectar for pollinators but if they are abl

Helping you get your best-ever fruit and veg

There are some vegetables that thrive in the cold, but unless you aspire to self-sufficiency Tom Coward recommends caution when sowing very early in the year. “It’s a mistake, although we always do it