Rethinking and sorting out my seed collection

[lottie dolly]

As some of you may have guessed,i am giving up my plot,and growing at home,it is to much for me at the present,so,tempted by VC,about seed offers got me wiring and itching,so haveing no proper brain of my own just temporarily,I have just gone through my stash,some have been elbowed,made a list of what i need to repace,and those that i do need and keeping,and a section of not sure on germination,for a bed i plan to dedicate to chicken treats if they emerge,i am trying to be a good girl,and only buy what i need,plus less varieties of the same things,who is is being good to themselves and their pockets

[veggiechicken]

I've been rethinking too, Lottie (no change there )
I'm going to grow more flowers and herbs that can look after themselves, grow "easy" veg like courgettes/squash, beans, mangetout/peas, beetroot; toms & cukes in the GH; winter salads and cut and come again leaves, onions, leeks and spuds; carrots, parsnips in buckets; kale and chard growing wild.
Not going to faff about with longstay brassicas like sprouts, caulis and cabbage or growing onions from seed (except spring onions).
Some of the fruit bushes are being left to the birds as they always get there first anyway!
As I've said elsewhere, my aim is to have something from the garden for breakfast (fruit or jam); something to go in a sandwich, soup or salad lunchtime; and a veg with the evening meal - every day of the year. That "something" can be a sprig of mint or a bay leaf - if I'm stuck for ideas.
If I can do that, I'm happy.
PS My first lot of seeds arrived today - Beth alpha cukes, Trombas, winter lettuce, herb fennel and a funny flower!

[chris_m]

Some of the fruit bushes are being left to the birds as they always get there first anyway!

Tell me about it. I wish I could work out where the birds are managing to get into my fruit cage - I suspect it's where some of the fence "planks" have slipped leaving a gap, but I won't be able to investigate properly until most of the foliage has died and dropped off. It must be a fairly large gap because it's mainly this year's first brood young blackbirds getting in.

It's not helped by the fact that the birds themselves only seem to be able to work it out 50% of the time - they can find their way in OK but can't find their way back out.

Still, look on the bright side - I only need another 21 (at last count) to get in and I can make the pastry


Back to sorting, I've recently been planning my 2019 sowing (What, already? I hear people saying) based upon what I've sown in 2018 and how they've gone so far, then only restocked any of which I definitely want again but don't have enough seeds for next year. I have one still to get because the GC doesn't stock that variety so I'll have to order those.

There are some things I sowed this year but probably won't next year - especially carrots, where I sowed four varieties to see which do best and which I prefer. Of those I'll probably only do one or two next year, depending upon the results.

[veggiechicken]

Blackbirds creep along the ground under the net, if they can't fly in. They only need a little dip in the soil to squeeze in. Sneaky little things.

[rary]

Just read VCs post about not going to faff about with long stay brassicas and must admit she could be right about that, I was heading out to the greenhouse to rummage through my seed collection as I was thinking of sowing some cabbages she had made me reconsider that and now will go for more carrot and beetroot, so she is quite a smart chooky, for her age




Yes its true with age comes experience

[veggiechicken]

Yes its true with age comes experience

Put another way, you have finally learnt that we young uns (Lottie and I) are smarter than old folk like you.