Plant this Early spring blossom is manna for pollinators emerging from winter hibernation, so help them out by planting a Japanese quince (Chaenomeles). It will make a handsome thorny hedge or wall-trained shrub in full sun or partial shade, and it’s hard as nails. The yellow, perfumed fruits grow in autumn and make quince jelly, too. ‘Pink Lady’grows to 1.5m each way; for ground cover, try the white-flowered ‘Jet Trail’.
Try this Shallot sets (another name for small immature bulbs) offer a lot of bang for your buck: plant one set by the end of this month, and by summer it will have multiplied into a whole clump. They like well-drained soil and suit raised beds: try a banana shallot variety such as ‘Longor’ for the best flavour.
Swap this Greening up interiors can be expensive. Why not set up a local house plant swap or check out houseplantswap.com to get started?
