Just when we thought that spring had finally arrived, the heavens opened and destroyed just about all the seedlings we had planted out - a day in the life of the allotment gardener.

With the winter in the UK proving to be one of the worst in decades we thought that by the end of March we should be safe in the knowledge that things wouldn’t show a downturn, how wrong were we!

In hindsight there are things you can do to stop calamitites like this:

1. Start your seedlings under cloches or in the greenhouse where they are not susceptible to excessive rain or wind.
2. Plant out only established plants that will be able to take a degree of bad weather.
3. Be ready with covers if the weather starts to turn.

You will always lose a few seedlings in the early months of spring, especially in the UK. But when the weather finally gets better the fruits of your labour will finally be rewarded.