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Monthly sowing guides

What to sow each month — with frost dates, varieties, and honest advice for UK growers.

From the allotment

Tumbling Ted alpine plant in full pink flower cascading over a wooden planter at a UK allotment, photographed at dusk
flowersallotment

Tumbling Ted: from bare roots to full bloom in two seasons

I planted Tumbling Ted in April last year — bare roots from Farmer Gracy — because I wanted something that would tumble over the front of the new planter and not need much watering. Here is what the two seasons looked like.

Tomato seedlings in terracotta pots sitting in a clear plastic tray, ready for potting on
tomatoesseedlings

Potting on tomato seedlings: when to do it and how

Tomato seedlings look fine and then suddenly look desperate. Here is when to move them on, how deep to bury the stem, and how to get them ready for life outside.

Freshly raked allotment bed with sowing drills marked out, greenhouse visible in the background under a blue spring sky
allotmentsoil prep

How to prepare allotment beds for planting

The work that happens before anything goes in the ground — clearing, digging, raking down to a seed bed, and keeping weeds off beds that are not ready to plant yet.

A UK allotment in early May — prepared beds, a metal arch, and a greenhouse visible across the plot under a blue sky
allotment diaryMay

May on the allotment: what I am doing right now

May is mostly labels in the ground and faith. The beds are prepared, things are sown, the tomatoes are hardening off on the path. Here is where the plot is at.

A green trug filled with a mixed harvest of yellow and red tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and sweetcorn from a UK allotment
harvestallotment diary

What I actually harvested from my allotment this year

A full breakdown of everything I grew and harvested from a UK allotment in one season — from the first strawberries in June to the last pumpkins in October. Real numbers, real photos, honest assessment.

A colander full of fresh strawberries sitting on woodchip mulch at a UK allotment
fruitbeginners

The easiest fruit to grow on a UK allotment

You do not need an orchard to grow fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, and rhubarb are some of the easiest and most rewarding things you can grow on a UK allotment — here is how to get started with your first fruit crops.

Rows of lettuce growing alongside bright orange marigolds in a raised allotment bed
companion plantingmarigolds

Companion planting with marigolds: what actually worked

I planted marigolds around every raised bed on my allotment last year. Here is what they actually did for pest control, pollination, and making the plot look incredible — with photos throughout the season.

Cherry tomatoes ripening on the vine at a UK allotment, surrounded by rosemary
tomatoesallotment diary

Growing tomatoes on a UK allotment: from windowsill to harvest

A real season of growing tomatoes on a UK allotment — starting seeds on the windowsill, planting out after the last frost, and harvesting buckets of cherry tomatoes by August. With photos from every stage.

Monthly sowing guides

2026