Sowing the Seeds of Spring

I’m so excited; I’ve just sown my first packet of seeds! For me, as for countless other gardeners, this task marks the coming of Spring; the horticultural equivalent of firing the starting gun. It’s a modest start, I grant you, but I’ve learnt that slow and steady wins the race.

It’s all Go in the greenhouse now. Some of my tender perennial cuttings have roots emerging from the base of their pots. Although not known for my patience, I’ll leave them tucked up in their propagators for another month before potting them on individually. It might be positively balmy outside right now, but the forecast for mid-March is back to single figures with minus night-time temperatures. Overwintered pelargoniums have had their first drink to coax them back to life, although they look pretty dead to me. I’m always amazed when I see green shoots appearing from dormant stems. I must resist the temptation to throw them away before they’ve had a chance to revive. Pots of perennial divisions cover every available surface: it’s a balancing act to reach my tools at the far end.

Every November I store dozens of begonia tubers in the drawers of an old haberdashery chest, now repurposed as a shoe store, in our spare room. And each February, with much anticipation, I pull open the drawers to see if there are any signs of life. When little pink pips appear it’s time to pot them up. A trug full of peat-free multipurpose compost mixed with a good couple of handfuls of vermiculite makes an ideal potting medium, allowing for good drainage. They don’t all come through the winter but it’s worth persevering, especially with your favourites, which for me are the cascading, single flowers of the Starshine Series. When creating container displays, it’s definitely a case of More is More, so replacing with new plants can prove expensive.

I know is early days yet, but I keep peering into the herbaceous borders, willing there to be signs of life. Some early flowering perennials are up and running, some later varieties still to show up to the party. But that’s half the fun, isn’t it, daydreaming about what’s to come. The simple truth is that this year, like every year, will be the best year in your garden.

Love, Caroline x