There are things still to do, like last minute pruning and planting of bare rooted stock, and crops to prepare for, seasonally plan and put into action. Already there is a great deal of activity underground.

To become a  ‘green’ gardener is not just a fad – it’s the environmentally friendly way of nurturing your own patch of ground, whether large or small, learning how to make the best use of water, air and nutrients while protecting crops from possible pests and diseases.

Regular readers of the column should be familiar with two important practices in managing vegetable plots: crop rotation, which avoids the build up of pests that affect family groups; and the need to incorporate organic matter to maintain or improve the quality of the soil.

The avoidance of possible pests and diseases demands a little more investigation, though even simple strategies will help.

Some varieties of vegetables and flowers  are known to be pest and disease resistant – stated on the packet – so make these your first choice.

Certain perennials such as herbs have beneficial predators so that mixed border planting will invariably have fewer problems than those grown alone or en masse.

Take care when using pesticides, making sure that you are not killing beneficial organisms as well as the harmful ones.

Remember that bees are major pollinators so if spraying is the only solution for a problem, only do it before they are up and about in the morning or after they have gone to bed.

Soap sprays break down the waxy layer of an insect’s exoskeleton which causes the scale, mites and soft bodied insects such as aphids to hydrate.

Use 500ml vegetable oil blended with ½ cup of pure liquid soap. (Make sure you use pure soap and not detergent.) Dilute one tablespoon of the concentrate with 1 litre of water before spraying.

Garlic sprays have insect repellent qualities as well as anti-fungal and anti bacterial properties. Use three large cloves of crushed garlic, one tablespoon vegetable oil, one litre water, one teaspoon liquid soap. Combine the garlic and oil leave to soak overnight then strain. Add to the water and soap and spray regularly.