Know exactly
what to plant,
right now
Enter your postcode for personalised sowing dates, based on your local frost date.
What to sow this week
A field guide to every variety worth growing — lit the week its window opens, flagged the week it closes.
Reading the sky over your veg patch…
This is the sky over the middle of the country. Add your postcode for your own →
No. 137 · PeasAlderman
A tall heritage climbing pea from the 1890s that will happily reach above your head, with long pods and a flavour to match. It needs proper support — a good wigwam or some netting — but there's real pleasure in growing something the Victorian gardeners loved, and in the picking when it comes.
In season now
10 crops to sow this week
Kit for the jobs ahead
June is the month it all comes good. The soil is warm, the days are long, and everything you sow now simply wants to grow. A few small jobs make the difference between a patch that copes and one that thrives — keeping the water on as it warms, giving the peas and beans something to climb, and tying in the tomatoes before they topple. Here's the kit I find myself reaching for, week in, week out.
- Gardena premium watering lance
- Jute pea & bean netting
- KINGLAKE soft plant-tie tape
- Slug & snail pellets (800g)
Somewhere to keep the tools dry, and make tea in the rain.
Everything here is free. If you buy seeds or kit through our links, a little goes towards a proper shed for the allotment — no ads, just the things we actually use, honestly told.
That's the whole plan: every link is a small step towards a dry place to sit out the rain.
Browse the kit we actually use →our dream shedPlan your whole season
40 crops across 12 months — at a glance. Never miss a sowing window.
Latest from the plot
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The allotment tools I actually use, compared
A quick, honest comparison of the tools that earn their place on my plot — what each is for, roughly what it costs, and where to get it. No guff, just the kit I reach for.
Square-foot growing: more crops from every bed
How I planted my first beds the square-foot way — dividing each bed into a grid and sowing a different crop in every square. The simple tool that made it easy, and why it pairs so well with companion planting.
My first allotment summer, in pictures
A look back at my very first summer on the allotment — what grew, what surprised me, and a few honest things I'd tell anyone taking on a new plot.
Common questions
When is the last frost date in the UK?
It varies hugely depending on where you live. In the far south-west of England, the last frost is typically in early April. In London and the south-east, it's mid-to-late April. The Midlands and north of England see their last frost in early May. Scotland ranges from mid-May to early June. Enter your postcode above for your specific date.
What can I plant before the last frost?
Hardy crops like broad beans, peas, onion sets, potatoes, lettuce, spinach, radishes, and kale can all go out before your last frost date. They can tolerate cold nights and light frosts. Tender crops like tomatoes, courgettes, runner beans, and peppers must wait until after the last frost.
How accurate are these frost dates?
Our estimates are calibrated against Met Office climate data and are typically accurate to within 5-7 days. However, frost dates are long-term averages — in any given year, the actual last frost could be earlier or later. Microclimates (sheltered gardens, frost pockets, urban heat islands) also affect your specific conditions. Always check the forecast before planting tender crops.
Is this tool free?
Yes, completely free. No signup, no subscription, no paywall. We believe personalised planting advice should be open to every UK grower.
Who made this?
A UK allotment grower frustrated by generic planting advice. Every site said “sow tomatoes in March” — but March in Cornwall and March in Edinburgh are completely different. So we built a tool that actually knows where you are.