Yes there are some milder and drier days when you can venture out – but a lot of the time it’s just armchair gardening.

But isn’t it fun. A nice cuppa and some biscuits, the fire lit, perusing seed catalogues, books and magazines.

As ever I’d like to grow more vege (and better) and the perfect inspiration for me comes in the form of the book ‘Animal, Vegetable, Miracle’ by Barbara Kingsolver. She’s one of my favourite authors, but this book is different to her essays or fiction. Her and her family try to live off their own land and from locally sourced food for a year (mostly). The book is informative, inspirational and funny – a must read for all gardeners.

And if you need a kick-start to get going with vegetables, this is it.

Happy (mental) gardening!