As the long nights shorten, Mounton House garden quietly emerges from winter with delicate sprinklings of white narcissi, Scilla siberica and crocuses through the lawns. Daphnes fill the air with frag

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

Spread a bulky mulch on top of the soil surface around the base of young apple trees to condition the soil, hold in moisture and suppress weeds. This will all help the tree to establish well. Use well

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

Planting schemes should never stand still, so let’s reassess, reshape and reinvigorate

What to plant, pot and prune this month, plus a few treats to buy and inspiration further afield