Once your seedlings have two or more pairs of leaves you can think about potting them on, that is to say, upgrading them into a bigger pot with more space for their roots to fill. I’ve just done this to some of my tomato plants. Remember to hold them by the leaves and not the stem, you can afford to have an accident and remove a leaf as the plant will probably recover, a crushed or broken stem is fatal for tiny plants.

Gently transfer to a pot with fresh compost, to help prevent disease spreading, and gently lower into pot and backfill with more compost to fill any gaps. I like to tap the pot on the table a few time to settle the compot into any air-pockets and then firm gently. Don’t forget to water them.

You can prop up any leggy plants with small canes (I have re-used chopsticks in the past with success) use string tied in a figure of 8 loop to cushion the stem against the support.

I have started to plant my potatoes at the allotment now that the weather has become milder and my seed potatoes have chitted. The potatoes in the picture are a maincrop variety called ‘Valor’.

Those green shoots will grow away in the soil when they are planted to just above their own depth. Because we haven’t totally finished with cold nights yet, you will need to watch the forecast and cover them up if frost is forecast. Apart from giving them a soaking every 7-10 days (more if they are in a pot) they are usually an easy crop to grow successfully.

Pests and diseases may trouble them from time-to-time but can often be avoided by growing a first or second-early variety that is harvested before the pest can get going, and before diseases like blight start to spread.

Even if you have a very small garden composed of no more than a few shrubs and some lawn, the chances are that it already provides a home to wildlife. Although we are most likely to notice larger creatures like birds and mammals it is the insects and small bugs that form the basis of their diet and encouraging these ‘mini-beasts’ into your garden will eventually result in larger creatures visiting.

A compost heap is always a good way to get really small insects into the garden as they help decompose the materials in the heap. If you have space for a heap top it up with green plant material mixed with woody prunings or even cardboard (torn up). The cardboard will help the green bits to decompose without getting slimy and is especially good if you want to compost your grass cuttings.

Flowering shrubs are good for providing nectar for insects and if you have space for several types to spread their flowers across the seasons you can ensure there is food for insects almost all year. Some of these insects (Hoverflies in particular) will predate on common garden pests like greenfly as well as attracting bird predators.

Hanging up a bird feeder could make all the difference to local birds such as sparrows and you will find larger birds like blackbirds will clear up the seed that falls to the ground as well as helping to keep slugs and snails under control. Put the bird feeder away from walls and places where cats could hide, if you can put it in a tree it will provide cover for shy birds to use the feeder.

If you would like your own wildlife-friendly garden call Create Garden Design to arrange a free consultation the numbers are at the top of the page.

I walk to the local shop past some hedges planted exclusively of Rosa rugosa and they are always humming with bees. From May and June these plants produce wonderful blooms in magenta or white that have delicate petals and golden stamens inside. The flowers smell lovely too but If you want to take a sniff you may find yourself in competition with the insects…they would certainly make a good addition to a wildlife garden.

They could make a good security hedge too due to their spiny stems that grow over a metre in height. The ones near me appear to be pruned using a hedge trimmer and they seem to grow back happily so I assume that they are not difficult to maintain.

Although they are deciduous and can look rather bare and spiky over winter they also have red fruits in autumn, providing one last bit of interest before they lose their leaves.

I have checked the allotment and yes, the cauliflowers are ready. They are all ready. Cauliflower cheese for tea!

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