In the greenhouse…

The temperature in my bargain Aldi greenhouse was up in the high seventies yesterday. Not bad for plastic and tubular steel.

The seeds I bought from the pound shop are doing incredibly well, mostly growing into tall, strong plants in their pots. The runner beans and peas will soon need planting out; the iceberg lettuce won’t be far behind.

The turnips and beetroot are looking iffy, so I’ll probably sow some directly outside, and the coriander, Thai chillies. Chinese onions, and pak choi haven’t made an appearance yet. Even so I have high hopes for my oriental selection seed pack.

My snap peas and carrots are through and the twenty magic beans I bought from the garden centre for 15p are thriving. I call them magic beans because I forgot to make a note of the variety when I dropped them into the brown paper bag. Mind you, they are probably magic anyway.

My tumbling toms seem happy in their hanging baskets and for once the cucumber plants didn’t wilt off when I transplanted them. The courgettes and pumpkins will soon need potting on, so I’ll need to pick a patch for them to spread out in. I’m growing the pumpkin in the hope of being able to carve my own home-grown Jack o’lantern come November, fingers crossed that it manages a decent size.

Generally everything in the garden is rosy.

Of course none of this will change the world, but it changes my world a little. I feel much worthier when I am growing things, cleaner somehow, more useful, it gives me a sense of purpose. Mind you after I’ve weighed up the cost of the seed, the compost, and all the paraphernalia you accumulate around growing things ‘properly’ it’s much cheaper to go to Aldi.

They say that home grown vegetables taste better. I say so too, and I really bloody hope that it’s true because after all the time and effort, not to mention the backache and worry, there has to be some tangible payback other that a rosy glow of satisfaction in being able to say: ‘I grew these tomatoes.’

So that’s my greenhouse gardening news. Maybe my magic beans will grow as high as the clouds. I’d better sharpen my axe just in case.