There are so many types of seeds available in the shops it is really hard to decide which brand to buy and what should you be prepared to pay?

I have been growing summer bedding and vegetale plants from seed for quite a few years and when money is short it is so tempting to buy whatever is cheapest in the garden centre or supermarket. But beware, whilst the seeds may look identical there is a world of difference between the cheapest ranges and the branded packets.

If you go to all the trouble to buy the seed compost and sow, water, prick out and transplant, you want your labour to be worthwhile. The difference in seeds is in the percentage of them that germinate and survive to become mature plants that you can be proud of. I usually stick to Thompson & Morgan for most of my gardening supplies as they are very reliable in the quality they supply and in the speed of delivery - I am NOT patient when waiting to start my growing!

This year they have gone one better and launched their Kew Urban Garden collection, which is a collection of 16 vegetables and 4 peas and beans selected for their uniqueness and suitability for container growing and small gardens.

**Kew Urban Garden Vegetables**
	Urban Garden Vegetables : Mangetout Sugar Snow Green New * Crops in : June to September * Ideal for : Containers * Height : 30 inches Description Pisum sativum. Dwarf, flat, broad-podded Mangetout, Pea Sugar Snow Green crops prolifically if harvested when pods are small and before seed development within the pods.

Sowing Instructions

Sow seeds from March to May. Sow seeds thinly direct outside or in containers, 3cm (1in) deep in rows 45cm (18in) apart and 20cm (8in) between plants. Ideal for space sown seeds in a bucket-sized container.

The range is not limited to vegetable seeds either; there are 60 varieties of seeds from indoor flowers to gourds and special varieties that will appeal to children, such as gourds:

**Kew For Kids**
Kew For Kids : Gourds Russian Dolls Half Hardy Annual Dry fruits fully in a cool, airy position before painting the skins. Description Unusual, doll-shaped gourds that can be harvested at various sizes, dried and painted to your own design, creating a family of Russian dolls. NOT EDIBLE - Use acrylic paints to create your own designs.

Sowing Instructions

Sow March to April in pots of moist seed compost.1cm (½in) deep. Place in a propagator or warm place, and keep at a constant temperature of between 20-25C (68-77F). After sowing, do not exclude light as this helps germination. Keep the surface of the compost moist but not waterlogged; germination will usually take 7-21 days. When at the 2 leaf stage, transplant seedlings on into 13cm (5in) pots and grow on in well-lit conditions.
Can also be sown direct outdoors once the soil has warmed.
So, there really is no excuse to not get growing now! Happy sprouting.

Everyman

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White Egret Orchid

Posted On 08-03-2010 , 14:45

Egret Orchids

Any day now I am expecting to take delivery of my egret orchids from Thompson & Morgan.

These plants produce "exquisite, pearly white, fragrant flowers are displayed like a flock of miniature birds hovering gracefully atop slender stems, as each bloom resembles an egret in flight."

This is just what I need in my conservatory especially as I have drastically pruned my Bougainvillea this year and I am not really expecting it to bloom as well as usual until it recovers.

**Egret Orchids**
	Plants of Habenaria arise from a very small tuber, about the size of a peanut, and they are said to be hardy down to -6C (20F). They should be planted into a humus-rich soil, in a cool house, greenhouse or in patio containers, however do protect from scorching heat. For best results, plants need plenty of water in order to simulate Asia's monsoon season. In Japanese weather patterns, the bogs are caused by snow melting off mountains rather than by rainfall and they do dry out in winter rather than summer when the mountain snows are no longer melting.

Water plants daily with rainwater throughout the spring and summer as they will thrive in soils that are constantly saturated with water as long as it is not stagnant. This species can form large, showy colonies over time.

Also known as The Dove Plant, this beauty occurs naturally amongst the rice fields of Japan. The stems can reach 30cm (12in) tall, each one parading three or more blooms that will flourish for well over a month.

As the legend describes, during a period of conflict, a girl from the castle of Setagaya (Tokyo) sent a letter to help her lover who was at battle. She gave it to a white egret to deliver to him. However, the egret did not reach him, and where the bird fell to the ground a beautiful flower began to grow. This flower was the White Egret Orchid, known as Sagisoo to the Japanese people, and now the flower mascot of the castle of Setagaya.

This plant was discovered in 1826 by Curt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel (1766-1833) - who would call their child Polycarp!!-, a German botanist and physician. His uncle, Christian Konrad Sprengel (1750-1816), is remembered for his studies in the fertilization of flowers by insects - a subject in which he reached conclusions many years ahead of his time.

Wish me luck with my new found friend!
Everyman

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Last Chance For Potatoes!

Posted On 23-02-2010 , 15:36

Last Chance for Potatoes!

As I gaze out of the window and see that it is still snowing, I cannot believe that this Sunday is the last chance to buy pre-chitted potato tubers from Thompson & Morgan.

**Chitted Potatoes - Faster Potatoes**
	It doesn't feel like Spring any more; it has been very cold and windy today and the temperature has had trouble struggling above freezing all day. The thought of planting anything is not too enticing at the moment. However, next week might be entirely different and I know that in a few weeks time when it is finally the moment to plant potatoes, I will regret not having ordered the tubers early enough.

I have had a few hours in the garden over the past week and when the sun was out it felt quite pleasant. I have managed to clear a few metres of beds and the bulbs are shooting up everywhere. It is impossible to see them, much less appreciate them, when they are covered or surrounded by masses of debris and the job may be daunting at first but once started I am reluctant to come inside again.

I do have one persistent problem though - my gloves. It is still too cold to go without gloves at all in the garden, and I confess to wearing gardening gloves most of the time. It saves time when I have constant interruptions to make meals and take people here there and everywhere at the drop of a hat, and my hands are not one of my greatest features at the best of times; they need all the help they can get.

But ........ about once a year I need a new left hand glove, but the right hand glove does most of the work and needs to be replaced much more often. If only I could find a left-handed gardener we could share and halve the costs. All offers considered!
Everyman

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Winter Is On The Wane

Posted On 16-02-2010 , 16:17

Winter Is On The Wane

At least I certainly hope it is - today was another great day for gardening and capitalising on my short period of child-free state, I made a morning of it. The leaves still have not been cleared since last autumn and this was a priority.

Armed with bags and wheelbarrow I selected a spot in the sun and set to. It is still pretty chilly here (3⁰C) so I am wearing my salopettes which do a great job of keeping my back warm. I have also started the annual spring pruning. I find pruning easier if there are no leaves on the plant - it doesn't seem so cruel!

My weakness is the self-sown trees and shrubs that I convice myself will be perfect in another spot - so I leave them until their new home becomes clear; two or three years later I cannot dig them up and the secateurs are not up to the job, so they are left until "later" ie: for ever!

I have been quite ruthless although I was sorely tried by my not-keen-gardener husband who keeps tutting at my disorganised attempt at cleaning up the garden. I like to start in the best sunny spot whereas he prefers to begin at the beginning - wherever that may be, I have never found either a beginning or an end in the garden.

The hellebores are blooming well and it is such a joy to uncover them beneath a thick blanket of leaves. The dafodils are doing fine too and there are quite a few that look to be only a few days from flowering.

Lets hope there will not be the promised snow tomorrow - I am just getting into my stride.

Everyman

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Gearing Up For Spring

Posted On 14-02-2010 , 15:06

Gearing Up For Spring

It has been a brilliant day here in Cheshire - fine and almost sunny all day so as I am currently child-free (children variously on holiday or back at university) I was able to spend a whole day in the garden, yippee!

I had a great time pruning the michelmas daisies and the grasses which are now looking decidedly threadbare. The michelmas daisies have been stripped bare of all their seed heads by the goldfinches and blue tits. This is one food that the squirrels cannot steal from the birds and I make a point of leaving the seed heads on all my plants as long as possible to encourage birds into the garden.

I have just read that the RSPB recommend mixing chilli powder in with the bird food to deter the squirrels - apparently the squirrels hate it but it does not affect the birds at all. Curry powder, tabasco, cayenne pepper, peri peri sauce and red pepper are also effective. Let me know if you have found these a deterrent to the squirrelly thieves in your garden.

Grasses usually look terrible at this time of year and the snow certainly did not help, flattening the foliage and encouraging the old growth to become slimy and matted. I usually wait a little longer before cutting off the old growth as this does protect the new shoots from any late snow or frost, but the grasses look particularly sad at the moment so a haircut was in order. The advantage of cutting back early to just above the ground is that you are not in danger of damaging any of the soft tips of the new growth.

Grasses are usually lifted and divided in spring if they have exceeded their allotted space or to restrict their spread. I have only had the finer grasses a couple of years so they are still filling out but my next task will be to deal with some overgrown phormiums and pampass grasses. These have razor sharp leaves so stout gloves and very sharp shears will be needed; that will have to wait a day or two - I have to prepare myself for the onslaught!
Everyman

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