Seeing a seedling emerging from the soil has to be one of the most enjoyable and addictive pastimes there is. I can sit for hours looking at on-line seed catalogues, happily adding vast varieties of carrots to the basket, ending with a huge bill. However, this week I’ve noticed that the majority of seeds I’ve sown haven’t cost me a thing.
My sweet peas that I sowed last week are shooting up, especially my reclaimed Miss Wilmot variety from last year’s blooms – they are charging ahead of the others.
So, heartened by their success, I dug out some seed-heads that I picked up off the ground at a National Trust garden that Rich and I visited late last summer; there wasn’t an abundance of them but enough to give them a shot. I got some really lovely white violas, with long perfectly-shaped white petals and then some of these flowers (below) that I have no idea what they are (any suggestions welcome).
Nothing has happened yet but I’m ever hopeful.
I’ve also sown some Aubergines – ‘Black Enorma’ that I got free with Grow it magazine. I had no luck last year with these (they didn’t even flower ) so I’m giving them another shot. I think being an incurable optimist goes hand in hand with being a gardener.
These beautiful paper-like seed-heads (above) are from last summer’s Eucomis Bicolor, or ‘Pineapple Lily’. I had two of them and they look amazing, at every stage of their growth. I don’t know what I’m doing with the seeds but I do have enough seed saved to experiment so I’ve put some in up in the potting shed to see if they take.
These are my house plants that grew last year. The Avocado (on the Left) I found bursting into action after I’d thrown it in the wormery to compost, along with 150 tomato plants, that seeded themselves.
The lemon tree (on the right) is my favorite. I simply stuck a pip in a pot in spring and with a lot of verbal encouragement and willing, it grew. I’ve been told there is no hope to one day be making roof-top lemonade, but that gardening optimism keeps me ever hopeful for ‘maybe just one gin and tonic’.
Happy gardening.
Brilliant Rosie! Spring has sprung! I find this is the impatient time of year when you feel if you don't get everything planted this weekend it'll be too late. Rubbish of course and a lot of people will be buying stuff at garden centres which will then be killed by frost. Seeing your seeds emerging is driving me into the garden right now - why haven't I planted the sweet-peas already? I shall plant a lemon pip today! Happy Gardening, love dad.
ReplyDeleteSympathies Steve! I've got a million tomatoes (almost literally!) that I'm already pricking out in earnest at work but I have still got the jitters as I need to get my own squash seeds started at home! xxx
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