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| chard seedlings |
Seedlings, seedlings, seedlings. I climb into to bed, rest my head against the pillow, close my eyes, and all I see is a vast sea of seedlings. Yes, seedlings have become my life these past few days.
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| tomato seedlings |
Essential work of course at this time of year if you are growing your own veg. I find it quite soothing standing in the warmth of the greenhouse with the wind and rain outside rattling the panes - ideally I would like a wind-up radio in there with me so I can listen to the afternoon play on Radio 4 or maybe some calming music - but for now, my mind wanders, whilst I am gently prising out the tiny seedlings, dibbling a hole and carefullly placing them into their new home. It doesn't get much better than that.
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| brassica seedlings |
It is a bit like a production line in a factory - row upon row of newly transplanted seedlings, the labels regimented , standing in a row like soldiers. Let's face it, it doesn't take much to make me happy.
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| lettuce seedlings |
Over the years I have collected all sorts of modules and containers to use for transplanting seedlings. But, my favourites, are the white plastic drinking cups you can buy at the supermarket. I make two or three holes in the base with a skewer and they are just the right size for a single plant, until they are ready to be planted out.
I have my 'work station' all set out with my favourite dibber - labels, pots, cups, modules - a bag of potting compost at my feet - and away we go. Hours pass without me realising - it is such a pleasant way of spending an afternoon - just me and the plants in a world of our own. I can quite easily wax lyrical because it gives me such pleasure. Maybe you don't have a greenhouse or polytunnel to work in, but wherever it is that you perform these tasks - you have to agree that is is a good way to spend your time.
Do you love transplanting seedlings and working in the greenhouse as much as I do?
Why not visit me in my flower garden
at Ramblings from Rosebank and check out what I am doing when I'm not busy growing veg.
Yes, it is a fantastic way to spend your time and I bought a £6 radio for just that reason. Nothing like listening to a radio 4 play while you work.
ReplyDeleteI love the plastic drinking cup idea, will use that.
The greenhouse is filling up nicely now - soon I will be moaning about lack of space.
DeleteThere's something so relaxing about potting on seedlings, perhaps it's because it's so repetitive. I've got lots of sowing, pricking out and potting on to do here, it's so busy at this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right Jo you don't really have to think about what you are doing.
DeleteThink I am the odd woman out..I do find the potting on tedious and it is not one of my favourite parts of gardening. But, I try to find pleasure in it as you do, a radio, a coffee, and focus on the positive like red ripe tomatoes before long ;-)
ReplyDeleteWell it wouldn't do if we all liked the same things would it - my particular bug bear is planting bulbs.
DeleteYes - my polytunnel is my potting shed and refuge! I can't work in there during the day now - too hot, but earlier on and after 6 pm is fine. I have a wind up radio I use in there and a chair.
ReplyDeletePlanting out tomatoes at the moment and pricking out brassicas :-)
The shed has become the beloved's refuge but you are right about it being hot in the greenhouse we put the shading up at the weekend.
DeleteI need a small greenhouse. None of my seeds are up yet.... and I'm not too patient.
ReplyDeleteWell you were a bit late with your sowing - with your climate they will soon make an appearance.
DeleteI do love potting up. Space is becoming a real problem for me now - my greenhouse is tiny. Things are getting pushed out into the cold frames and planted out as soon as I can. Just hope we don't have any more cold nights!
ReplyDeleteWe are still getting early morning frosts here so I am a bit wary of putting things out yet.
DeleteSounds as if you are a happy bunny Elaine. I find pricking out quite soothing and a great activity for allowing you to think about other things. Have only really just got into my stride this year but already a major disaster. My dibber has gone missing :(
ReplyDeleteI had a favourite dibber - a stainless steel one - blowed if I know where it vanished to.
DeleteI do love pottering in my tunnel.I try to find excuses to stay in there...lol.
ReplyDeleteI have the option of also going into our "Sheebeen" where we have a sitting area,but most of my seedlings are in the tunnel bench this year.When I get growbags for tomato plant gluts,they will be put in the back of the Sheebeen and I can stay there longer,it is also way down the end of the garden,so hubby sometimes rings me to know whereabouts I am now ;)
I used to have a small garden armchair in the greenhouse but I don't have the room now so I have resorted to a fold up chair instead
DeleteYes I do, Elaine! I love potting on seedlings, feeling that I'm helping my little plants on their way. I do it in my kitchen and then wander around trying to find a home for them. I have narrow windowsills so there's not a lot of space and, really, I should just grow all my seedlings outside in the ground. I'd love a greenhouse and would spend many happy hours there if I had one. One day, perhaps ....
ReplyDeleteMeantime, I love the economy of using white plastic cups - brilliant idea!
Perhaps you could manage to squeeze in a small grow house on your balcony - not quite the same as a greenhouse, but beggars can't be chosers.
DeleteYou certainly do have a food factory there Elaine! I like pricking out... not much of that to do since my greenhouse blew over so I'm rethinking my plans this year :-)
ReplyDeleteI find any repetitive gardening task quite relaxing apart from weeding!
When we looked round this house wondering whether to buy it was the greenhouse that clinched it for me. Talk about heart ruling the head.
DeleteTransplanting seedlings is one of my favourite jobs... trouble is I always run out of greenhouse space before I run out of seedlings!
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling.
Deleteits one of my favourite things too, pottering in the greenhouse or conservatory, pricking out, potting on. Time just flies by. There is something meditative about it, and I find myself daydreaming about what the flowers will look like or the edibles will taste like. Nice tip about the cups, I always reach the end of May and have a pot crisis, never enough of the right size. I like using those large yoghurt cartons for things like courgettes or squashes that always seem to get really big before it is safe to plant them out.
ReplyDeleteI always have a good clear out of pots that have accumulated at the end of the season - then wish I hadn't.
DeleteYes, the hours go by when I am pottering about in my garden! Unfortunately I don't have a green house or a poly tunnel so it is limited what I can grow from seed, but I have just planted radish, beetroot and salad in window boxes and yesterday I potted on some of my hellebore seedlings. I don't call all this work, I go out in my garden to relax when doing this. Love it!
ReplyDeletePottering in the garden should be regarded as a national pastime don't you agree.
DeleteIts wonderful having a greenhouse to work in, it is one of my favorite places to be. I like sitting in it early evening surrounded my plants & seedlings. I even took my knitting with me last night.
ReplyDeleteI haven't gone quite as far as taking my knitting in with me yet - but there's always time.
DeleteIt's like weeding isn't it - your mind can wander and plan all manner of garden and non-garden related activities.
ReplyDeleteabsolutely
DeleteI'm probably one of the few exceptions as unlike you it's not something I would really enjoy even if I had a greenhouse and sowed lots of seeds like this. Apart from all the faffing about I would now find it increasingly difficult due to the arthritis in my hands which doesn't make it very easy to do anything like this.
ReplyDeleteI can however see why you, and others, enjoy it so such. Flighty xx
I find it very therapeutic but it is a rather fiddly job.
DeleteI've just seen your tomato seedlings and they look exactly as mine! :) They're the same size and I planted them in these white plastic cups, too!
ReplyDeleteWhat a coincidence - great minds think alike.
DeleteHi Elaine, You inspire me to plant more vegetables (I do have herbs and planted two peppers this year). I agree, there's nothing like a lovely afternoon spent gardening! I enjoyed your post. All the best! :-)
ReplyDeleteI doubt you would be able to find much room for vegetable in your flower packed garden. Have a good weekend.
DeleteLike you I love a pricking out/potting up session, and I too have a radio tuned to Radio 4 in the greenhouse. My mind sometimes flashes back to when I was 3, standing on a crate in Gran and Granddad's greenhouse, dibbing in chrysant' cuttings - hundreds of them! And learning to write by marking the names on wooden labels with a fat wax crayon :-)
ReplyDeleteYou paint a charming picture of your childhood Celia - our grandparents are great teachers, and they seemed to grow a lot more chrysanths than we do now.
DeleteAnd here I am to visit you in your greenhouse. You have so many seedlings. Do you use the vegetables all for your selves or do you sell them or give away. I like pottering in my greenhouse too for hours, I have so many tomatoe plants that I almost do not know where to plant them. I always sow various lettuces but only a few seed by the time for otherwise we have too many at once. From your other blog I saw you sowed about the same flowers as I did, Tithonia, Cosmea and Zinnia.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time in your greenhouse, it's fun and therapeutic I think.
Hi Janneke - I only grow enough veg for us to use but sometimes when there is a glut of something like courgettes I give a lot away to my neighbours.
DeleteI'm joining in the group of happy seed sowers and yes I love all the pricking out and potting on. I do mine in the kitchen and have a few things in my indoor greenhouse (my back bedroom window sill and desk!) and more hardy things and things I'm hardening off in my mini-greenhouses outside. I will get a proper greenhouse one day. Enjoy your gardening.
ReplyDeleteIt must be tough to find room for everything when you don't have a greenhouse - maybe father christmas will be kind to you
DeleteOne of the nicest jobs down the plot has got to be seed sowing and propagating. Most of mine is done in the shed where its usually warm out of the wind, no rain to speak of for the past few weeks. I must get some tea making equipment soon just to top things off
ReplyDeleteAt least there is no back strain involved or lots of bending - tea making equipment is definitely a must.
DeleteI love sowing seeds and get a feeling of great satifaction when they germinate. I too also love working in my greenhouse and polytunnel, there is nothing like picking the leaves of a winter hardy lettuce in the depths of winter when prices are high in the supermarket
ReplyDeleteAh - a likeminded soul.
DeleteMy seedlings are only just up out of the soil. This is my first year for growing plants from seed, so it is interesting to read how you manage the task.
ReplyDeleteYou know when I first started veg gardening I grew everything directly into the soil as was recommended in the books I read at the time - gardening practices have changed considerable since those days. Although starting nearly everything off in the greenhouse now it is a lot more time consuming and I sometimes wonder if going back to the old ways would make life a lot simpler.
DeleteYour food factory is looking great. I wish I had a bigger greenhouse as I love growing from seed, its so rewarding seeing the plants grow.
ReplyDeleteGrowing in the greenhouse does cut out the hit and miss quality of seed sowing I must admit - but I think it is much more exciting to see things popping up out of the ground.
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