Former nursery owner Gillie Wilkinson gives us an update on the first signs of spring in her garden, and her plans for the months ahead

Did any of you try going vegan for Veganuary? I am vegetarian and have been since I was six years old.

A lot of the food I eat is vegan. Not deliberately, it just so happens that it hasn’t got any meat, fish or dairy in it. Christmas lunch was vegan with a home-made nutroast with chestnut and cranberry stuffing and all the usual roasties and sprouts.

I am far too fond of eggs and cheese to go vegan and so many of the new vegan (and vegetarian) foods are very processed to make them taste like meat.

This year, as well as trying to buy local and organic, I am going to grow as many protein-rich foods as I can. Most of these will be pulses, peas and beans, some for drying and some for freezing.

I’ve been sorting through my huge stash of seeds, some of which go back to 2009. I found a packet of peas that I’ve soaked for a couple of hours and then sown three to a module ready to plant in the tunnel for pea shoots. These are easy to grow ­— you can even use the dried peas from the supermarket ­— and are very expensive to buy from the salad shelves in the shops.

Our three seed tray size propagators are now switched on and a selection of salad leaves, herbs, onions and peppers have been put in them.

James is going to rig up a grow light above them to help stop them from stretching too much.

James has still got some more fruit tree pruning to do. Only the apples and pears, the plums and cherries must wait till summer. Some are being trained along the fence, the others are in large pots.

Hopefully we will get some fruit this year.

All over the garden the bulbs are starting to poke through and bud up. The narrow border in the front will be a riot of colour in a few weeks’ time when the daffodils and forget-me-nots are out.

I have wood piles dotted about the garden as hidey holes for good bugs and we are going to build a small pond on the patio in the hopes that our resident frog will find a mate and we will get some tadpoles.

Years ago, I wrote a recipe book and three years ago I was asked to write another. Life got in the way and it didn’t get done but now I’ve decided it’s time I made a start.

A favourite recipe of ours uses up odds and ends of vegetables. Any selection but is best with carrot, parsnip, swede and onion cut into large chunks and boiled or steamed till just cooked. I often add celery and leeks as well and sometimes potatoes.

Drain and stir into a thick cheese sauce. Turn into a baking dish and top with scones (made without the sugar!) and sprinkled with cheese. Bake at 200 C till the scones have risen and golden.