Seasonal tasks

Prepare your soil for spring planting. Dig in green manure crops sown in autumn, compost and sheep pellets or dress with a general NPK fertiliser. Let the soil settle for a fortnight, then hoe out germinating weeds.

• Cover strawberry beds with bird netting. Don’t use fine insect mesh as strawberries taste sweeter if pollinated by bees.

• Sow a patch of summer wildflowers for bee fodder.