Deter birds from pecking out your garlic by scattering twiggy prunings over the soil where the cloves are planted. Carefully place the prunings inbetween cloves, put back any that have been disturbed

On your fruit & veg plot

Fancy growing something a bit unusual? Then give chickpeas a try. They need a sheltered, sunny site with free-draining soil. Warm the ground with cloches or fleece before sowing. If you have heavy cla

Lucy gets started on the most important tasks of the fortnight ahead lain

Helping you get your best-ever fruit and veg

As days grow longer, the urge to sow seeds is almost impossible to resist. But if you dream of overflowing beds, the most important thing to do now is plan the growing year to help you meet its sowing