Hanging around in the garden, waiting for Spring

I have been very clever and tied a karabiner hook (piece of climbing gear, quite cheap) onto the rope at each end of the hammock so that it is very easy to put up and take down. The hook end goes round the tree trunk and clips back onto the main ring of the hammock. I reckoned that I had earned a good rest after this bit of ingenuity, and duly climbed into my netted bed.

Those of you who have spent any time in a hammock will know just how comfortable and relaxing they are. Consequently, it wasn't long before the gentle swaying sent me drifting into daydreams. Seconds later I woke with a start. Something was wrong. The sky was blue, the sun was warm on my cheeks and the birds were twittering away, but something just wasn't quite right. I looked around the garden. I saw the dazzling yellow clad branches of the forsythia, the Barbie-pink tassels of the flowering currant and the scarlet red cups of the quince. I looked upwards into the outlined branches of the 150-year-old sycamore giant that guards the garden. Then it dawned on me. The trees were still leafless. It was a jolting reminder that it was still early spring. I had been fooled into thinking that summer had arrived already.

Whilst we must appreciate the good days as and when they arrive, we mustn't get seduced into starting those tasks that could still get spoilt by bad weather and late frosts. It was the hanging baskets that had almost tempted me. If you have been down to the garden centres within the last month, you will have noticed benches filled with the tiny seedling plants of hanging basket fillers. The astute and well-prepared gardener will have bought a trolley full of these and will be in the process of gently bringing them on for late spring. It is quite astounding how much money you can save by buying your plants as seedlings. You do have to put in the effort in potting them up and tending to them, but in a way this adds to the build-up of summer.

Over the last few weeks, people have been asking me for alternative ideas to the standard hanging basket. The two most practical ones that I have concocted so far are a vegetable basket and a herb basket. Both of these can be started now, satisfying that craving to get your fingers plunged into the soil.

Prepare both baskets in the usual way. Line a wire frame with anything from moss (from a sustainable source), pulped paper (my favourite), ready-made fabric products, hessian or even aluminium foil. It really doesn't matter as long as it stops the soil from falling out. Place a saucer at the bottom and half fill the basket with soil. If you want to make life easier, you could mix in a slow release fertiliser. Then it's simply a matter of adding your 'ingredients' and topping up with soil.

Suggestions for vegetables to be used in a hanging basket include dwarf peas, tumbler tomatoes, lettuce (red varieties in particular), broad beans, dwarf beans, carrots, radishes, beetroot, small turnips, miniature cauliflowers or spring onions.

Remember with the peas, tomatoes and beans to keep pinching out the tips. This keeps the plant smaller and bushier. If you are into companion planting, then how about intermingling the vegetables with marigolds or garlic bulbs. This will deter some of the worst aphids and produce a healthier crop.

The herb basket is even easier because you can just include any of your favourite herbs. However, for basil, tarragon, coriander and lemon verbena, I would wait until May before planting up, which will make them that just that little bit more tender. If you want to grow mint, I would advise planting it still in its nursery pot, or having it in a basket of its own.

Suggestions for herbs that can be used in a hanging basket include sorrel, parsley, marjoram, oregano, thyme, sage and chives

Have a go. It is only our imagination that restricts new ideas and creations.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Primrose (Primula vulgaris)

Primrose Day is celebrated on April 19. It was the favourite flower of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli.

The name 'primrose' means 'first flower'. The pale yellow colour was said to represent the the first pale rays of the growing sun. However, if you plant the primrose upside down in the ground it is supposed to produce red flowers.

The primrose is a lucky flower, but it is unlucky to bring less than 13 into the house (any short-fall may be made up with violets).

THIS WEEK'S GARDEN TASKS

* Remove last year's hydrangea heads

* Lift and divide clumps of flag iris

* Pot on last Pelargonium cutting taken last year

* Prick out greenhouse seedlings

* Plant onion sets

* Plant parsley*l Fertilise your lawn with a spring feed

* Remove suckers from the base of fruit trees

* Plant any new roses

l Clean, mend, treat or paint garden furniture