My over-wintered broadbeans (Aquadulce) are covered in flowers, but there is a worrying absence of little pods.  A recent article by Val Bourne in this month's RHS magazine might explain why.

Apparently bumblebees are the sole pollinators of early broad beans!  We have a couple of pollinating bee logs in the garden, but these are designed for mason bees rather than bumblebees.  We have plenty of wild garden and grow all the plants recommended by English Nature (buddleia, cornflower, lavender, honeysuckle, rosemary and foxgloves), but only the rosemary is currently in flower.  For next year I am going to try underplanting with some Crocus chrysanthus 'Cream Beauty', which Val recommends for early nectar.

It's traditional on St George's Day to make dandelion wine.  Its a good way to stop the dandelions from going to seed and its tasty.  Here is the BBC's H2G2 recicpe:

1. Gather eight cups of flowers (not stems), and place into a bowl with an equal amount of cold water. Leave for three days, stirring occasionally.

2. Strain, and boil for 30 minutes. Add two and a half cups of sugar, and the rind and juice of an orange and lemon, and then let it cool.

3. Add a teaspoon of yeast to some warm water, and add to the wine. Cover, and leave for two days, to begin fermentation.

4. Pour into a fermenting jar, and leave for two months before bottling. The wine improves as it matures.

"It doesn't look like the hedgehog house has been used this winter", Debbie said.  That very same evening I spotted this little chap!  The recent warm weather must have brought him out of his winter sleep.  We don't yet know if there is a whole family, but we will be leaving some cat food out just in case.

Hedgehog numbers in the UK are plummeting. There were 2 million in the mid 90s, now there are less than 1 million.  Building a hedehog house is an easy way to help.

We sow most of our lettuce directly into the ground, but we also like to keep a few germinating in pots so that we can transplant them easily.  The roots are very fragile though, which is why a paper pot maker is are such a good idea .  They are easy to make from old newspaper and can then be planted directly into the soil.

This is the first of our little gems.  A good rule for ensuring a continuous supply of lettuce is to sow a new row when the previous row is ready for thinning.

Traditionally Good Friday is the time for putting in seed potatoes.  With the forecast as it is though, it might be better to lie back and enjoy the wonderful weather.  Which is what this kite appeared to be doing above our vegetables earlier today.