Soil, structure and timing sit at the heart of the spring garden. Long before the first sowings take hold, there is a quieter, more deliberate phase of preparation that determines everything that follows. This is the moment to read the ground, to understand its readiness, and to shape the season ahead with intent rather than urgency.

Soft fruit in Britain is a layered inheritance, from woodland plants gathered in the wild to carefully refined crops of the kitchen garden. What we grow today reflects centuries of selection, exchange and deliberate care.

You can plant potatoes into early May, extending your cropping season. It all depends on your soil conditions. Let Chris Smith explain…

At first glance, the cucamelon looks like a modern novelty destined for Instagram fame — a miniature watermelon, the size of a grape, with a cucumber-like cross section, satisfying big crunch and a cucumber taste with a hint of tangy lime.

These tiny fruits (Melothria scabra) are no modern hybrid at all, but heirs to a heritage that stretches back centuries to the heart of Central America.