I've been thinking about what I would write for my first post for some time. I've been outside in the greenhouse with filthy dirty hands, surrounded by dirty stacks of empty pots and thinking about introductions and trying to sound clever and eloquent. Unfortunately, due to my excessive thinking about something other than what I'm doing, I've had a few disasters.
I've never really gardened before. When I was a child my parents had a lovely garden in every house we ever lived in, and I would wander around with the hose before I went to bed, watering the garden and pretending I was presenting an episode of gardeners world, chatting away to myself. I moved to the US with my parents when I was 13. Texas heat and humidity was not the prime conditions for a pretty garden, and we all gave up really. I moved back 8 years later, and student houses and small rental flats in the centre of various cities were also not the best place to cultivate growth in any kind of form besides the occasional fresh pot of basil. And so here I am, 28 years old, with my first garden.
My husband and I moved to Wiltshire for his work. I am lucky enough to have also found work in my chosen field of criminal psychology in the area. We rent a house, but this one comes with an enormous garden, greenhouse, vegetable plot, and countryside soundtrack. Who could not be inspired to grow something!?
I've recently been increasingly impatient with it all. English winters leave a sense of desperation; "I need sun", "I need green, and flowers, and juicy tomatoes and lettuce and basil and barbeques and sleeping with the windows open....". We haven't even hit March yet....
I'm champing at the bit to grow something, and some developments have been made so far, but as I said, a few disasters too!
Disasters)
1) I planted seeds about 4 weeks ago (impatient me...that was FAR too early). I put the neatly organised little seed trays in the bottom of my airing cupboard. I checked on them regularly, and one day I went, and they had gone berserk, thin, leggy little seedlings that had overgrown their little plots and hung over the edge. I tried to rescue a few, and threw away most of them.
2) Today I went out to greenhouse to plant a few more seeds. Much better timing I think. Again, I made neat little organised seed trays, filled with seed compost and vermiculite, and little tags telling me which exciting little seed was in which segment. I went to take them inside the house, to nestle them in the bottom of my airing cupboard (for a few days...and no more this time!) and as I went in through the back door.....crash. Seed compost, vermiculite and mixed seeds in a large pile on the floor in my kitchen. I swore out loud...then swept the lot up and headed back out to greenhouse. I've replanted them, but god knows what will now be sprouting up where...a mixture of chilli, striped tomatoes, and regular tomatoes. What a mess.
I know this is all a learning curve....but already I'm doubting if I'm cut out for all this!
In my mind I have visions of baskets of multi-coloured tomatoes and chillis, home grown garlic and onions, small vases of sweet peas and a table centre piece of autumn pumpkins and squashes, like an image in an autumn edition of Martha Stewart magazine. A bit like this....
We'll see how that goes!
Once seeds have been sown, keep at a temperate of 18-21c to allow for germination. I put mine in the dark in the warm airing cupboard for the first few days, and then move to a warm window sill. Don't let the seedlings grow too tall, you can avoid this by allowing them as much light as possible so they aren't growing trying to search for light. When the seedlings are big enough to handle, thin them out leaving the strongest, and plant in bigger pots of good rich compost. Transfer to the green house when all risk of frost has gone, or put outside a few weeks later than this, in a very sunny position.
