Seed sowing at last

After what seems like a very long winter, I’ve made a start on this year’s seed sowing.

Back at Christmas time we had some home made crackers which I cunningly filled with chilli and and tomato seeds (and chocolate) to encourage my green fingered family to grow their own veg. Most of them (possibly all of them) chose the ‘pass on to someone who will’ option, leaving me with the joyous task of sowing the tiny seeds today. Here they are in relatively well labelled pots and off to their home in my heated propagator for a couple of weeks.

Here there are peppers, chillies and four varieties of tomatoes. If they all germinate (crossing fingers), some of these will be returned to sons to grow in their flats and the rest will find homes in my garden or allotment. I also sowed broccoli, sprouts, lettuce, some herbs and sweet peas today, helping me towards my sixty vegetables for 2022 (apart from the sweet peas – they are just for pure pleasure). These will not be coddled in the propagator but are nicely filling up the windowsills until everything germinates and gets moved around.

It’s an exciting if slightly nerve-wracking time. Meanwhile, the daffodils and crocuses are joining the snowdrops in making the garden look a little more springlike.