Seed sowing

I feel like the editor of a garden magazine who will schedule the endless : this is February, therefore the Galanthophile story will lead without fail.

It’s April, therefore you will follow me up the path towards the potting shed where the serried ranks of tiny little seedlings will be the picture essay of the day.

I took a lot of dahlia bulbs up here to the potting shed to grow in without the fear of mole rat predators.

But I have almost but not quite reached peak bench space plant cramming. So they will have to go somewhere else.

And one has to accommodate The Creature. And believe me, she is definitely caged in that crate.

Her propensity for ambling across baby seedlings is exceedingly irksome.

So far she hasn’t actually crushed a tray. But it is imminent.

Especially when she has the positively cushiony carpet of baby nicotiana seedlings.

These are exceptionally fiddly. I took to using my tick removing tweezers to prize them apart in the tray.

We’ll see how they do. I was given the seeds by Sarah when I was volunteering at her cut flower garden. This particular nicotiana is peach. Not madly me. But I’m game.

I’m sowing row upon row of amaranth varieties. And other flowers destined for my dried flower arrangements.

But of course one cannot ignore the mighty veg. I have my standard Borlotto climbing beans which I use as shade cover in the raised bed. But also spinach, lettuce, courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, dill….

A week ago I would have left this lovely office, nipped outside, twinkled up to the potting shed, taken note of all the seed varieties, watered random trays, sprayed the citrus trees with water, remembered all the sunflowers and sweet peas I should have noted. And trotted back.

But for now I’ll leave you with this.

If I get up, it takes about a minute to get my legs in the right position for forward motion. Then remember where I put my crutches and hobble out.

Everything is very, very slow. So I chose my trajectories.

Here is one of Etienne’s carpentry projects.

We recycled all the wood that came out of the dismantled lean-to shed. And here it is forming the north side of the rather grotty exterior of the potting shed.

Perfect space for lounging cats and hardening off these seedlings.

Even Etienne was proud of this quick job.