Simply the best seeds for nurturing right now

THERE ARE VARIETIES THAT CAN BE GROWN INDOORS IN FEBRUARY TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

- DIARMUID GAVIN

WITH January behind us we can start to look forward to the days lengthening bit by bit and being able to plan ahead for spring.

While February is too cold to sow seeds outside, there are some seeds such as sweet pea which can be started as early as this month inside.

In the meantime, I've been taking a look through seed catalogues and here are some ideas to inspire you.

If you're a beginner, Unwins have an "Easy Wins" collection - these are seeds that will germinate reliably so are handy for the novice grower. For example, their carrot selection is 'Nantes', a heavy and reliable cropper with good carrot-fly resistance. The seeds come embedded on a tape for easy sowing and even spacing.

Other plants in this collection include nasturtium, sweet pea, beetroot, radish and spring onions.