At this time of year most of the Tomato plants we have are small and quite young, even so the plant will form sides shoots right from this early stage and these need to be removed. In the first image, this plant is only about 20cms high but if you look closely at the central stem there are small, green shoots running out from the main stem. In the next image these have all been removed.

It is important to remove these shoots all the way through the growing season because Tomatoes are a very vigorous plant and will produce lots of growth, including unnecessary branches which start as side shoots. Unchecked the plant's energy goes into leaf and branch and not fruit.  Left to it's own devices, the side shoots on the plant would be a mass of branches where in fact you are aiming for a single central truck with a measured amount of lateral branches. 

The best way to achieve this is to keep removing the side shoots. You can tell what is useful plant and what are the redundant side shoots as the side shoots always appear at the junction of the stem and branch.

More tips on growing Tomatoes

April is an ideal time to plant onions and garlic  which are a rewarding, easy crop to grow. I buy onion sets, but you can easily grow onions from seed if you have time and patience. An advantage of onion sets is that they have been heat treated which is said to inhibit bolting. 

The choice of different types of garlic which you can choose to grow now is really great ; both the garden centres and on line retailers are full of different bulbs. This year I have planted Picardy wight garlic which does come from the Isle of Wight where they grow lots of garlic as conditions are ideal, well drained soil and one of the sunniest spots in the UK. 

Garlic and onions are easy  all they need is to be planted correctly in a sunny spot and they grow themselves.

A big plus point is that both store very well if kept dry and cool in fact for months which means you can be eating home grow onions and garlic well into the next winter.

Why not grow some potatoes as well and have your own garlic mash.

Growing tips on onions and garlic and a new video showing how to plant onions and garlic

If you are visiting Amsterdam, a trip to the Keukenhof garden is great day out.  We all know that many bulbs are grown in Holland and Keukenhof is the place to see them.

The garden itself is in a lovely setting, with a large lake as centre piece and over 32 hectares of planting and displays. These two images are just a snippet of what there is to see and there are some more images on the Pinterest page, none of which really do the garden justice. I visited, because we were in Amsterdam at the end of March,  but I really didn't have enough time to take in, and better still photograph, half of what there was to see.

There are the bulb gardens, but also various displays; I only had time to look at the Orchid display in the Beatrix pavilion which was imaginatively laid out as the  Pinterest page show just a little. The Dutch are so thoughtful and good in their presentation and it really shows in the quality of displays and planting. All of the gardens are beautifully laid out and immaculate, tidy and very well-kept. Unfortunately, there were other areas I just didn't get chance to look at. 

We were in Amsterdam at the end of March; ideally I would go later when there would be more bulbs in flower.  I would love to go again and hope to have the chance. I would really recommend a visit. Amsterdam is a fine city, but for me there always comes a point when you long for things green and head for gardens which is why it is good that Keukenhof is so close to Amsterdam.

From Amsterdam central  train station, it is a quick and efficient train to the airport  (20 mins) where you can pick up a bus. They run frequently from the airport out to the garden, which is about 30 mins, its close to the city and an easy trip. You can take a guided tour if you want the benefit of extra information but if you like to please yourself, its easy to get there independently.

In late March the blooms are just coming and the show runs through to May, I would love to visit again in late April /early May there is so much to see.

Just nearby, literally next to the garden, are the commercial bulb fields and you can walk or better still hire a bike and cycle around the fields. There are a few images on the Pinterest page. Cycling is easy and the traffic light and polite,  it is a very different experience  to cycling in the UK. As you cycle around the quiet lanes it is tranquil with the scent of Hyacinths and the birds singing. Just a fab day out.

 After such a dull wet winter today, Sunday in the garden, was just bliss. The sun was gentle and warm, so many birds in the garden chasing each other around and the real feel of spring in the air. The hawthorn is starting to green and the wood pecker was drilling away for the first time this year.

Best of all the frogs are back having arrived in the week. With each day the pond gains more frogs and the frog chorus becomes louder with a back ground of birds it surely is the sound of early spring. 

Why not make a cup of tea, or if it's after 6 , (as it is always somewhere) a glass of wine, sit back and click on the sound cloud and listen to the the sounds of early spring.