Keep bird baths and greenhouse trays clean. It’s not glamorous, but it’s the difference between healthy visitors and winter woes. A quick scrub keeps plants and wildlife happy – and disease at bay. ●

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

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

Aubergines: Grow in a heated greenhouse using a propagator. The temperature should be at 18-21°C Broad beans: This tasty and popular veg can be sown now if you choose a hardy variety such as ‘Super Aq

Happy New Year, to our Grow Your Own friends! Oscar and I are back down at the allotment, boots crunching on frosty ground, breath fogging in the sharp January air, and already buzzing for another bus

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE THIS MONTH WITH OUR GUIDE TO THE CHANGING SEASONS