THREE WAYS TO... MAKE THE MOST OF SPRING

The days are finally lighter for longer… so welcome in the new season!

1 Foster a lifelong love of nature…

...by getting outside with your grandchildren. Sow some seeds, press flowers from your garden, and go on a hunt for frogspawn in your local ponds and lakes. Collect leaves, feathers and rocks to make a collection that’s sure to impress their school friends, or get creative making mud pies and daisy chains. Help them try to find their first four-leaf clover and teach them the names of flowers and plants that you know. Then go to feed the ducks – peas, not bread as they’re better for their health.

2 Hunt out some bluebells

... and help the Woodland Trust in its research. It collects information about British plants and trees, to measure the seasons. With bluebells, the charity is also particularly interested in whether you’ve spotted native or nonnative species.

3 Get in tune with nature

Eat seasonally! April is the perfect time to experiment with cauliflower, kale, spring greens and cucumber, while May welcomes in British asparagus and rhubarb (turn to p117 for rhubarb tips). Alternatively, treat yourself to seasonal flowers and support British growers. April is a fabulous time for daffodils, tulips, anemones, hyacinths and larkspur, while May will bring freesias, lilac, early roses and irises.