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

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

How to carry on growing food over winter ...

While you wait for Spring, here are the jobs to get on with

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