WHAT TO DO NOW

Now that the soil has warmed up, you can sow climbing bean seeds direct. Make a trench filled with vegetable peelings, cover it with soil and plant the seeds in this underground compost heap, to nourish their nutrient-greedy roots, before erecting a hazel-pole wigwam above it. Plant an annual climber, such as Ipomoea lobata, alongside for a colourful effect. If you live in an area of low rainfall, mulching is vital. Weed suppressant fabric is efficient, but you can also use organic material, such as leaf mould, garden compost, chopped green manures, seaweed or comfrey leaves, to help preserve soil structure, suppress weeds, and feed the plants. When you mulch you preserve the conditions underneath, so try to lay your mulch on a day when the soil is warm and damp.