Raspberries are best in full sun. They produce new canes in the first year and these canes fruit in the second year. First year canes are green and second year canes have a thin brown bark. It is best to prune back the cane after it has fruited. Maybe we will do what we do with the red currants and cut the wood back whilst it is covered in ripe berries. That way you do two jobs in one and the branch can be taken home to remove the fruit then trimmed and used as a cutting for a new plant.

Known as the princess flower, Tibouchina plants grow beautiful, eye-catching purple flowers with yellow stamens.  The plant is native to Brazil and thrives in warm temperatures and humid air. With proper care and the right conditions, this tropical beauty can brighten up your garden.

For early flowering, tubers may be started off in boxes in April; use a light soil mixed with compost. Keep slightly moist, cool and free from frost. When the danger of frosts has passed, plant out the sprouted tubers. If used as a cut flower, cut the stems only when the flower has fully developed

We bought one of these trees today from Lidl for £3.99 and plan to plant it in the scratching area of the chicken run. There used to be a big old Sorbus in there but it has died completely and will have to be removed along with an old Bamboo. We shall have to protect the trunk until it is established. The hope is that as well as providing some shade for the girls they will enjoy the windfall too. We have a Granny Smith’s Apple in the side garden, close enough for pollination we hope.

Heirloom tomato seed Roma is an outstanding and disease resistant variety that produces red plum tomatoes of medium size.

On the window sill in the kitchen I have placed seeds of Parsnip White Gem on damp kitchen towel to sprout before they go into their cardboard tubes.

White Gem produces broad shouldered, smooth skinned roots and features superb resistance to canker. A great flavoured parsnip which goes well with all roasts and other hot dishes.

Last year we had a good crop of peas from Fortune and I have put about 40 in a bowl and shall swish them in some water every day then drain them until they sprout when they will be transferred to a tray of compost to grow on a little before they go out on to the allotment. Rob plans to sow a few directly into the ground along with some swede Best Of All. Both will be protected with a new cloche/ mini greenhouse we got from Lidl.

I wish I could afford an incubator. I ordered more hatching eggs last night and feel very nervous about trusting my broody after what happened last time. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained they say. My potential broody this time is a large black Araucana and I have gone for Bantam Wyandotte eggs, in silver laced, buff laced and silver pencilled. We only have one Wyandotte at present and that is Toyah. She is a partridge coloured bantam and has been blind from birth so lives separately from the flock, gets very special treatment and has a lovely gentle temperament so we are hoping the new chicks will be like her.

These pictures aren’t my birds but have been sourced from the internet