JOBS for the week

Prepare outdoor seedbeds for March sowings – clear of weeds and cover with polythene or horticultural fleece to warm them up.

Plant summer flowering bulbs such as liatris, begonia and gladioli in pots indoors.

Prune winter flowering shrubs such as mahonia and viburnum when they have finished their display.

Apply well rotted farmyard manure or garden compost around rhubarb crops.

Bulbs that were forced to flower indoors such as hyacinth can be planted outdoors now. Protect blossoms on apricots and peaches from frosts with horticultural fleece.

Sow tender crops such as tomato, chilli and cucumber in a heated propagator or sunny windowsill.

Delay turning your compost heap at the moment as otherwise you may disturb sleeping hibernators.

■■Health-conscious cooks can make Sunday roasts healthier with Lakeland’s Gravy Fat Skimmer Jug with Strainer (£7.99, lakeland.co.uk), which makes separating meat juices fuss free. As it cools, fat rises to the top, so the low spout allows the gravy juices to be poured out from underneath.

■■If your little ones have spent more time plugged into tablets and music during lockdown, make sure you’re looking after delicate ears with Yoto Headphones (£24.99, yotoplay.com). They have a kid-safe volume-limiting, adjustable headband and a daisy chain feature which allows children to listen together.

■■Sustainable brand Smalls Merino is aiming to bring the vest back – and heaven knows we all need a little stylish help to keep heating bills down now. Made of lightweight, supersoft 100% merino wool, their Evercami (£55, smallsmerino.co.uk) is luxurious and comfy for day and naturally regulates body temperature at night.

■■Prepared in a rich tomato sauce, with a warming kick thanks to the addition of jalapeños and paprika, Merchant Gourmet’s Spicy Cajun-style Lentils and Red Kidney Beans (£2, Ocado) is a great source of fibre. It can be used as a speedy topping for jacket potatoes or replace meat in burritos and tacos.