Plant seedlings of celery, lettuce, onion, silverbeet and sow seed of carrot, parsnip, peas, beetroot, beans and potatoes.
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Lettuce varieties that can be picked leaf by leaf make a lovely edible low border for the vegetable garden while the spreading thymes can be grown as fragrant ground covers.
To a Pea
Homegrown peas have a unique crispness and flavour.
Plant seed about five centimetres deep and 10 centimetres apart and provide a support for climbers.
Dwarf varieties are ideal for container and balcony gardens.
After peas have finished plant leafy vegetables of lettuce, silverbeet or brassicas in the nitrogen-rich soil.
Those added extras
Lemons are heavy feeders and will enjoy an application of a specific citrus food. Water the ground before and after applying.
Dig plenty of organic material into the vegetable garden to provide nutrients and to aid soil structure. Before planting apply a complete fertiliser.
Bales of spoilt pea straw or lucerne hay are perfect to help break down heavy clay soils and add organic material to sandy soils.
Potash encourages flowering and slows down leaf growth and is particularly beneficial for tomatoes, potatoes, peas and beans.
Pine needles applied 15cms deep make a good mulch for acidic-loving plants such as camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas, ericas, blueberries and strawberries. Keep mulch away from the stems.
Purple Haze
Violets are lovely specimens for posies and grow easily in an open, well-draining, semi-shaded position, preferably with morning sun and sheltered from winds.
They are surface-rooting plants and, as they develop, the crown rises above the level of the soil.
Viola hederacea is a native creeping form with soft green kidney-shaped leaves and white viola-like flowers with mauve centres suitable for those shady spots in the garden.
Viola odorata is a winter and spring flowerer renowned for its sweet perfume and flowers of pink, white, cream and mauve.
Lawn love
If your lawn contains moss that has grown during the wet winter remove it by giving the lawn a thorough raking. It will also benefit from an application of a complete fertiliser high in nitrogen and potash.
Getting hip
Hippeastrum seed can be collected in late summer and dried for a few days before planting.
The seeds will germinate readily if placed on top of the soil containing plenty of organic matter.
Use fresh seed as it may lose its viability after a couple of months.
