GARDENINGIN THE kitchen garden, it is time to start the first sowing of salads under cover and broad beans. These can be started in the greenhouse or shed if the ground outside is wet and cold.
Raised beds and planters are perfect for early salads; cover with cloches and, if it turns really cold, with a double layer of fleece over those as well.
Put potatoes to chit as soon as you get them — stand them in egg boxes and place in a light, frost-free place.
Shallots can be planted if soil conditions allow.
Fruit: A fruit cage will allow you to grow all manner of soft fruits — useful for puddings and tarts, for jams and jellies, and even fruit juices and wine. Now is a good time to make a cage or put together a kit.
Ornamentals: Half-hardy annuals can be sown now if you have a propagator but do check germination times. You will not be able to plant out until all possibility of a late frost has passed — the last thing you want is to waste all that fiddly work of sowing, pricking out and growing on.