I have always been keen on growing seedlings in pots or cells wherever possible, not only does this give more control – light and temperature can be varied – but it is a good way of saving the embarrassment of weeding out the precious new plants. Having done this once with Lynn’s anemones I’m anxious not to repeat the error.
Red cabbages – Kalibos / Red onions – Red Baron
Once back at home the focus was on our home beds, Lynn got new sowings of carrots and parsnips in, as well as dong a “show sowing” of carrots in one of the old re-cycling bins. We tidied up the south-facing bed and weeded the neighbouring flower border, in which the new narcissus and old tulips look really good following last autumn’s clear up.
I pricked out and potted on the sweet corn and butternut squash and learnt a valuable lesson about sweet corn. The plans are much less robust than they appear and I managed to snap half a dozen of them as I tipped the first batch out of the seed tray. I got all the rest out safely by being very careful, but in future, these will be sown into a pot big enough to give decent root development and then be planted out once they are quite substantial.
Mowing the lawns added a veneer of respectability to the garden more widely.