Spring into action: five easy, affordable gardening tasks now winter is over

Cold snaps and unseasonably warm spells have played havoc with my garden. But now it's time to get to work - and I have a few ideasMy endeavour to keep our new small Hampshire garden low-cost and environmentally sound continues. The guiding principle of "home-sown" rather than nursery-grown plantings has been mightily tested by ever-tempting spring stock lists, and I'm still searching for a thrifty yet water-based weatherproofing paint for the boundary fence. But rich compost has appeared like manna from the composter, and the makeshift cold frame has done its job, bringing frost-vulnerable sowings through the short, dark days and out into the vernal sunshine.The weather has not been easy, with winter delivering the lamentable combination of sharp cold spells broken by unseasonably mild temperatures and widespread thaws, which has led to curious patterns of growth - did anyone else's bearded irises confuse January for June? During hard hoar frosts I watched our almond tree through clasped hands, and surveyed my autumn planted cuttings almost daily. Continue reading...