I always buy the occasional gardening magazine, something to do on these wet miserable evenings while we wait for the nights to get lighter and for the weather to dry up a bit and amazingly here we are getting close to being late, yes late, in sowing certain seeds for getting a  good crop of vegetables this year!

This week I happened to spy the “Grow Your Own” magazine and it had 4 packets of free seeds – tomatoes, leeks, brussels & peppers – always a sucker for a bargain, I bought the magazine – the February edition – and was amazed to be told that I had better be getting on with things. I’m amazed every year mind, and always am surprised at how quickly time flies by & I’m always late in sowing my seeds!

This year we are still harvesting leeks & parsnips, although with the mild spring the parsnips are starting to shoot new leaves already and so the rest will be dug up and put in the compost; the leeks no doubt will start to bolt as well, so I had better start giving a few away, as we also have loads!

This year I will be concentrating on just a few veg, leeks & parsnips again, I’m going to have a go at carrots and beetroot, and maybe swede, and definitely Brussels sprouts (although I’ll have to do better at protecting them from the chooks) – I have a few spinach packets of seeds and may have a go at those too!

Last year I planted 3 asparagus plants, moved some rhubarb and we have loads of raspberries, a few gooseberries & blackcurrants and blackberries dotted about – I also built a few more raised beds and have a space I want to build another, maybe to put a few spuds in!

I’ve got a polytunnel & one large and one small greenhouse and plan to grow tomatoes and chillies and an occasional herb, oh & strawberries!.

That’ll do me, but I had better get on and start sowing some seeds!