Feed this
It may seem a kindness to feed garden birds leftovers from your roasting tin, but please don’t: it’s a breeding ground for bacteria such as salmonella. Instead, make your own fat cakes by mixing one part fat (suet or lard) to two parts dry ingredients (using fresh suet or lard mixed with seeds, nuts, dried fruit, porridge oats or cheese). Half a coconut shell makes a great holder.
Grow this
If you’ve picked up a potted cyclamen over Christmas, chances are it’s looking a bit peaky now. Florist’s cyclamen, Cyclamen persicum, isn’t a fan of the dry, warm air in our centrally heated homes, and is much better off in a brightly lit, cool room such as a bathroom or porch. Grouping it with other plants will help boost humidity levels.
Plant this
Despite its name, maincrop potato ‘Salad Blue’ is actually better mashed, roasted or chipped, plus it makes for a startling side dish, because the skin and flesh inside are violet-blue, even when cooked. Height and spread: 60cm x 60cm. Buy 20 tubers for £5.99 or 60 for £12.99 (prices include free UK mainland p&p). To order, call 0330 333 6856, quoting ref GU468, or go to our Readers’ Offers page. Dispatched within four to six weeks.
