I started sowing today. I sowed a row of Radish, some Carrots (Early Nantes) and some Oakleaf Lettuce in the coldframe. I also sowed some Broadbeans (Bunyards Exhibition) in terracotta pots and put them into the coldframe to germinate. Later on I’ll transplant them into the ground.
It feels good to get some plants on the go. Spring is tantalizingly close now and on sunny days it almost feels like it’s here already. But I’m being on the cautious side and focusing all my efforts on the coldframe right now. After all it is still February!
A little later than normal but here’s the winner of our last Photo Mission – Let’s Get Sowing. It’s a beautiful photo of some seeds about to be sowed by Nina Clarke. I particularly like the muted colours in the photo and the narrow depth of field that shows the different shapes and sizes of the seed beautifully. Well done Nina.
Nina wins a mega-stylish Window Salads seed kit from the guys over at Seed Pantry, worth £14.99 each, with eight packs of seed including: Rocket, Radishes, Chillies, Lettuce (Lolla Rossa & Salad Bowl), Basil, Parsley and Spring Onions.
Well, I don’t know about you but I’m raring to go with the sowing already! I’ve ordered my seeds, polished my dibber and I’ve even cleared up the leaves. It’s show time. We’re fast approaching the time of year that every vegetable gardener loves, Spring. The weather is sunnier, the garden is calling and it’s all down to you to get to the seeds sown so that you can reap the rewards later. I’m so excited I could pop!
This month’s photo mission is all about sowing. So get out there and take photos that say ‘it’s nearly Spring so get your booty out into the shed and sow my friend’.
Whether it’s a photo of you actually sowing seed,
preparing the pots,
or sorting your seed tags. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that your photo says ‘sow’.
Our prize this time comes from the super-cool, urban gardeners over at Seed Pantry. It’s a mega-stylish Window Salads seed kit worth £14.99 each, with eight packs of seed including: Rocket, Radishes, Chillies, Lettuce (Lolla Rossa & Salad Bowl), Basil, Parsley and Spring Onions.
As we can’t send seeds outside the EU winners from outside that area will receive this set of coir pots instead. Still very cool! And don’t forget to sign up to the Seed Pantry newsletter for great hints and tips on how to sow and grow. Again thanks to SP for their generosity and making our competition just a little bit (erm a lot…) more competitive :)
Send your entries to gill@carsonified.com by Friday 19th March. GOOD LUCK!
I love Spring – everything is so new, green and full of promise. Apart from Christmas it’s my favourite time of year.
The Cabbages that I transplanted a couple of weeks ago are coming on a treat and are ready to be planted out in the garden. I made sure to dig in some lime before I planted them and firmed them in nice and snug – Brassicas like to have their roots tucked in.
I’m a sucker for a neat row and decided to make a little Cabbage patch over near the Peas. At this time of year your plan is starting to take shape and it’s a great time to make those last minute changes to it before your beds start getting filled up. Before you know it you’ll be wondering where on earth you will put that Courgette plant or row of lettuce.
Here at mtp I’ve been busy sowing and planting. Now that the nights are light I find that I can get a lot done in the hour between bath time and when it gets dark. Here’s what’s in already:
- Peas – check
- Potatoes – in, last week
- Radish – sown (two rows)
- Early Carrots – in, one sowing under the cloche, two sowings in the ground
- Parsnip – one outdoor sowing
- Spring Onions – in, but not up yet
- Rocket – in, and up
- Broccoli – sown in coldframe
- Perpetual Spinach – ditto
- Sweet Peas – four varieties sown in coldframe
- Dwarf Sunflowers – sown in coldframe
- Leeks – just pushing up in coldframe
- Lettuce – check, check, check – early sowing in the coldframe, plus outdoor sowings last week
- Broadbeans – 2 inches tall
- Cabbage (summer) – seedlings transplanted
- Onions – check
- Shallots – check
- Garlic – in and growing well
- Tomatoes – Super blight-resistant variety (Ferline) sown, currently getting the 4-star treatment indoors
Currently harvesting:
- Rhubarb
- Kale
- New Zealand Spinach
- Perpetual Spinach
- Herbs
- Tulips
So that’s the view from mtp. Anyone else sowing anything else? I don’t like Beetroot, Sprouts and Celery so that’s why they’re missing from my list, but I’d love to know if anyone is having success with other stuff right now. Always room for one more as they say!
