Yesterday I decided I would try and work a cure, so took myself to Wyevale where I don't often go because they are so blardy expensive, but they DO have the best selection of Seeds hereabouts, so it was a case of needs must. My husband sat in the car with the paper. He HATES garden centres and doesn't like gardening, but mows the lawn (muttering) and if he had his way, his perfect garden would be a lawnless back yard with a few things in pots and NO VEG.
I didn't go mad - the prices forbade that - the Sweet Pea selection was £4.69 on its own, but actually represented very good value for money as there are 6 seed varieties and only one had less than 18 seeds in it. The individual packets of Sweet Peas cost over £2 each for a similar amount of seeds. The Franchi seeds are good value too - excellent germination and after going to Florence last year, I am now a sucker for Italian anything! I wanted the green flat beans, rather than the yellow, but only Duchy Originals (Organic) offered green and there were very few seeds in the over-priced pack, which I have bought in the past but germination was poor. Whilst I would prefer to be all organic in the seeds, needs must. I spent a good hour yesterday afternoon sowing the Sweet Peas. "Take a 5 inch pot and sow 5 to a pot" the directions told me. Then I ran out of 5" pots - or rather, I am sure I have some more but they are almost definitely at the bottom of one of the big bin liners of pots I have lurking in the back of the chicken shed (lapsed). So I ended up grabbing some 6-hole large plug strips I'd bought young plants in last year - nice and roomy - but even then I had to put a couple of seeds in each plug as there were lots of seeds in some of the sachets.
The varieties are: Bijou Mixed, Old Spice Mixed, Blue Velvet, Spencer Mixed, Cupani and Swan Lake. I think they will love it in the former soft fruit patch at the top end of the (south-facing) yard and the bees will love them too.
Last week I hit Wilko's and took advantage of their 3 for 2 offer on seeds. These are destined to be planted near the sweet peas, in that same sunny border.
If you are thinking it is an unbalanced mix of veg seeds, the beans are already sown, and brassicas don't do well here. Or more likely, I am a crap brassica grower! Anyway, OH is a fussy devil and tries not to eat much veg if he can get away from it and wouldn't touch any of these with a barge pole (apart from the occasional carrot which I manage to slip in). Broccoli and peas and the occasional bit of cabbage and that's his lot.
Some of the floral stragglers from last year, which I never got around to sowing. I am about to rectify that.
Whilst we're on the subject, why ARE seeds so dear? Go to Lidl and you can buy excellent seeds for pennies . . . OK, the selection is limited, but they all grow!
I've just popped across to Fleabay to see if I can get some green flat beans, only to find I could buy PURPLE strawberries, or BLUE ones . . . don't think so! They don't look at all appetising and I should think as genetically modified as it's possible to be!
Anyway, I did find some flat beans for 99p a pack, so got two (one for eldest daughter T who now has an allotment! Several friends are sharing, so they will find the digging easier . . .
Whilst I was in Wyevale, I spotted some half price Tomato seedlings - originally £1.99 or £2.29 for 4, just a couple of inches high, I didn't mind trying them half price. They were bone dry and needed potting on and tlc, but they are now sorted and in the polytunnel (another Wyevale bargain from last year, just one of the green sort).
I declined to buy the "bargain" bucket of 50 fat balls for wild birds at "just" £6.99 a bucket, reduced from £12.99!!! Since I have been buying these at Charlies or Wilko all winter at £5 a bucket, it didn't seem much of a bargain to me!
Oh, and I AM a bit more cheerful this morning now : )
