Plant some early potatoes, like 'Rocket' or 'Swift' in a bucket, potato barrel or black polythene bag. Place in a sunny, sheltered spot outdoors for an extra early crop of home-grown potatoes.

Pot up small dahlia tubers in large plant pots in a cold frame or under fleece.You will get established plants for planting out in a border or vegetable patch at the end of May.

Spray roses with a fungicide against early mildew and black spot. This is particularly important if these diseases were a problem last year.

If you have a greenhouse, you can start planting up your summer hanging baskets.   This will ensure they have established before hanging out in late May or early June. You can use plug plants if available.

Buy a compost bin if you have not already got one.  Home-made compost is a valuable soil conditioner.

Dead head daffodil bulbs as the flowers fade. Do not dead head snowdrops as they will increase by seeding. Split overcrowded snowdrop clumps into and replant immediately in groups of about 6.

Treat mossy lawns with a mosskiller. Do not treat weeds for another month. Feed with a summer lawn fertiliser at the end of March. Feed permanently planted tubs with a slow release feed like Osmacote or Vitax Q4.

Sow tomato seeds indoors.

Prune early flowering shrubs like flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) and forsythia by removing very old branches at ground level as the flowers fade.

Sow early peas ('Feltham First') and broad beans ('The Sutton). If birds are a problem, sow in small pots and plant out when well established.