Speedy Blogzales...

A quick, short and sweet blog today as I've been pottering in the garden most of the day getting ready for growing season. This year I think growing veg might be important, more important than at any time since the war when digging for victory turned just about everyone into a keen (and hungry) gardener. I'm growing in pots as I don't have much soil area and my back is a bitch, although I may lift some slabs to create a raised bed (ouch, ouch, ouch). My pots are on a stand which I made last autumn, so that should save my back a little and of course cut down on the pest damage a little too.

Today I have mainly been sowing seeds into paper pots. I've dug out my old heated propagator and cleared the kitchen windowsill to give them a fighting chance before planting out in May. I've got sweetcorn, courgettes, cucumbers, peppers, beef tomatoes and melons (I'll be lucky to get them to grow) and once they have germinated and grown a few leaves I'll move them into the summer house and start some more. I bought all of my seed in the sales last year and there's loads of lettuce, peas, beans, carrots, spring onions, I've even bought seed potatoes (things that I don't usually bother with as they are so cheap in the shops). I'm growing in old sheep feed tubs and bird fat-ball tubs and I have quite a few big planters. I've even bought strawberry plants to grow in bags on the fence. You don't need much space to grow stuff you can eat, so give it a go. You can order seed and veg plants online and have them delivered.

As you can tell I'm pretty excited, particularly as I'm going to have plenty of time to look after them in the next six months as I hang around the house. I'll keep you up to date on how it goes and if you fancy trying it too - happy growing.