“Though the cold weather is still with us, you can still harvest some exceptional vegetables and legumes at this time of year. From March, you can start planting out the hardy vegetables. If your garden is very sheltered, broad beans can be planted out any time when seedlings have reached three inches tall. The hardiness of these veggies means they can really add some beautiful flavour as well as much-needed vitamins to your meals. Soft herbs such as coriander, parsley, chives, and fennel will also be ready now, as well as the hardier rosemary, sage and thyme.
“We’ve planted some wonderful treats to harvest later in our greenhouse which is now sitting at around 10 degrees. At this temperature, you may be lucky enough to harvest broad beans, leeks, onions, shallots, radish and garlic.
“With the warmer weather not too far off, there are a few steps gardeners can take now to help the garden thrive when the seasons change. I’d be sure to cut back your herbaceous border and mulch a thin layer of garden compost to feed microorganisms and keep the soil healthy.
“March is also the time to finish pruning your apple and pear trees. You can also prune for better berries including raspberries, currants, black, logan and tayberries.
“Before we hit the main season, it’s also a good time to organise your sowing plan month by month, so that once we’re seeing warmer climes, you can dedicate more time to being in your garden.
“Come early April, it should be warm enough to plant out your lettuce, kale, chard, beetroot, mangetout and pea, but don’t forget to sow these four weeks prior in a sheltered spot.
“By mid-May, plant out tender vegetables such as French beans, courgettes, cucumber and sweetcorn.”