I need a fix of garden time
I feel slightly trapped by both the weather and my pregnancy, so have had to turn to seed and plant catalogues for my horticultural fix.
Refilling the bird feeders and having a short poottle around both the back garden and allotment is my only recent contact with my previous life as a gardener.
I daren't go near a garden centre – the temptation to comfort buy is overwelming.
My Lovely Bloke wanted to buy me a couple of fruit trees for my birthday this week but I asked for an IOU – the ground is just too wet to dig.
So I'm sitting about trying to get a plan for the new season – for both the allotment and the home garden – when I should, hopefully, have more time to nurture my patches.
I'm off on maternity from the end of next month, but will be keeping in touch via these columns throughout the year, when hopefully I shall be bragging about how much success I've had in glorious weather.
Ha!
With my job comes a plethora of seed and plant catalogues, all promising great riches from tiny seeds.
I've even cleaned out the tiny 'utility room/washing machine cupboard' which doubles as my potting shed.
Among the junk piled up through the year is a haul of precious seed and some lovely shallot sets kindly given to me by a reader, Mr Frost, last year.
Since his donation I've been reading that shallot and onion sets may be trickier to get hold of this year due to the wet summer of 2007.
However, it's just as possible that it's an excuse for retailers to hoik up the price.
Buying from local nurseries or your allotment association should mean good stock at reasonable prices. Better still, stash your own each year.
I Like Mr Fothergill's catalogue. which gives you an A-Z of all their flowers, then you turn it over to get the vegetables in order.
Thompson & Morgan do a vast collection of different catalogues including fruit, young plants, and sundries, while Dobies and Suttons (are they owned by the same company?) have large catalogues with good detail for the beginner.
For value, DT Brown has a good range at great prices and is celebrating its centenary this year with a special range of celebratory seed collections.
You can buy two seed collections of four varieties (veg and flower) for 12d each (5p in new money!). Find out more by ordering a catalogue on 08451662275 or visit dtbrownseeds.co.uk.
Happy browsing!
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Weather for Northampton
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
