This time last week I was getting myself nicely in a state about the thought of standing up in front of the wise women of my local WI to give a talk about vegetable growing. I mean is there really anything I could tell these ladies?

As it happened, as with so many things in life we fret about unnecessarily, I needn’t of worried, they were very welcoming. Yes there were quite a few that had grown veg before but there were some that hadn’t and we swapped and discussed stories of what worked and didn’t. I took along some homemade leek (from my garden) and cheese tarts…win them over with food always a good plan Lucy!

Afterwards I was pleased there was some wanting to give it a try for the first time so we sowed some seeds together and they went on their way clutching their cut and come again salads which I hope are germinating nicely in this warm weather we are enjoying.

The tip I think that was most well received was sowing your seeds in strips of guttering. This method, borrowed from Sarah Raven, I have used for many years now and germination seems to always be good. I mostly do cut and come again salads in them as you can also keep them in there if space is limited in your garden/veg patch, the soil is good for probably 2 to 3 cuts.

Or you can slide them out into trench dug to a similar size as the guttering causing minimal root disturbance. I don’t drill holes in the bottom so you need to water from the top, whereas my other seed trays I water from the bottom. Cover with Clingfilm, or glass if you have it, until seeds have germinated.

A force to be reckoned with

I’m always pleased to see my Forsythia out in full bloom; it is at the entrance to our drive so greets me daily with its early blooms. I decided I’d like more of these bright yellow greetings around my garden so I’ve taken some semi-hardwood cuttings, a 6” section, which I cut from new growth, popped into moist soil and rooting only took a few weeks.

This bushy deciduous shrub can reach an ultimate height of 2.5m and a spread of the same in 10 years but can be cut back every year after flowering, advisable also as it can put on one to two feet in growth per year. It also makes a lovely flowering hedge bearing a profusion of tubular yellow flowers followed by simple green leaves. It can tolerate any well-drained soil and prefers full sun or partial shade but is easy to look after so definitely worth a place in your garden.