Bargain

I have been on the search for compost on the internet locally without finding any at all - all were saying out of stock on the type I was after.  This morning and in desperation we have left the house early and gone out of town to Spalding which is about 30 to 45 minute drive from us.  The store opened at 10:00am and so we were on our way for 9:00am so as to miss too many people.  We are glad we did as we have located three x 70 litre bags of Erin compost for £15.  I am chuffed as it means that I can now get some of my seedlings pricked out and planted on.  Big sigh of relief from me.  I hope to have my own compost for next year.  

I must say that the garden centre we went to Baytree, respected social distancing and the staff were extremely helpful and also loaded the compost for us.

There was a guided way through the store - only certain parts were open.  I have also managed to find seed for Chamomile (not the ground cover version that I was after, but Chamomile all the same with which to make tea and use in home made toiletries and also for rinsing my hair (I am predominantly blonde with a touch of grey) Lovage (I have seed somewhere in the house but could not locate.  Lovage I have grown before and it can be very much used in a similar fashion to celery).  I also Broad Beans which was chuffed about as the ones I have at home I was too late to plant but they will be used next year, and also a mixture of Courgette and a small cucumber so they will be planted probably tomorrow.  All seeds to be planted by end of May or later so am well within time to get a crop this year.

I also managed to locate three dark black tomatoes which are destined for the greenhouse/growhouse.  I also have a lot of cherry tomatoes to prick out and then have in hanging baskets which I have grown from seed as well.  I was looking for a yellow tomato plant today but they did not have any, so will keep my eyes open just in case I come across any; I appreciate that it will be a bit hit and miss, but certainly something I will obtain for next year's growing season.

I have also come away with a few hanging basket plants as well.  Together with some of the seeds I have already set I should have enough plants to put on a display.  Predominantly, purple, blue and white colours with lemon and orange petunias and also the orange and pink Nasturtiums.  I wanted bright colours this year.  I can only try at the end of the day.

I love standard Marguerite  plants but am not paying £20 each for the pleasure.  I am going to look into doing some of these for myself.  I understand that they are perennials but I have never managed to keep them from one year to another as the frost has got them, but am going to read further on this.  I love daisies of any sort and particularly love meadow flowers like Cornflowers and the like; I also love Poppies. Forget me Nots for me are a personal special favourite and take me back to being a young child and the cottage where they grew in profusion.

I also looked at some more Dianthus plants but they were rather expensive and will take cuttings off the plants I have to extend the stock.  I am after a few more cottage garden plants yet for the space I have.

This year the garden has been a very strong learning curve on certain plants for me, but I am tackling them head on as I go along.  I want to be able to grow my own from now on rather than dabble here and there as I have been doing thus far. Growing something is better than doing nothing.  Although I have a reasonable plot for gardening this year, there is a large plot which is currently the jungle which will with a bit of work make extra growing space once it is cleared.  That area will  not be available to grow stuff this summer but as long as it is ready by the start of winter then I am going to have a head start for next year.  Well that is the plan at the moment.

The sun has its hat on after a miserable grey morning although the wind is a little rough.  Am going to check on the growing houses and if it is warm enough will start some of the pricking out today otherwise it will be Bank holiday Monday before I start.  Apparently the forecast is meant to be good for tomorrow.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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