SEEDS, SEEDS AND MORE SEEDS!

 

It’s the week between Christmas and New Year, and for me that means only one thing; it must be time to decide what I am going to grow on my veggie patch next year; and then get busy ordering.

 

The problem is, I am ALWAYS swayed by the seductive descriptions in the seed catalogues, and end up ordering either something I have tonnes of packets of already, or something I have grown before that was a huge disappointment. For instance, who could possibly say no to “Courgette Sunstripe: a unique courgette with good yields of delicious golden yellow striped fruits that looks great when sliced!” or “Swiss Chard ‘Lucculus’: an abundance of deliciously succulent asparagus-like white stems”, I know I shan’t resist and yet I am the only one in my family who likes courgettes and even I don’t like the metallic taste of Chard!

 

This year I am determined to be more selective and restrained as I make my seed selections. To this end, I began documenting EVERYTHING I grow each year, with taste/yield comments at harvest time in the hope that as the years go by I will grow more and more of the crops that suit my site, and yet I will still be confident enough to try something new safe in the knowledge that I haven’t grown it disastrously before. I have also decided to only grow what I know the majority of this family of 5 will eat. Here is an example page:

 

Harvest Information

 The above mentioned Swiss Chard is a case in point. I religiously grow it every year, as it grows well on my soil and is SO pretty, particularly the Bright Lights variety, with its multi-coloured stems, but we all loathe it! And yet…..and yet……what if the Lucculus variety ISN’T metallic tasting? What if its asparagus flavour is the most delicious thing we have ever tasted?!

 

No! I must be strong! Resist!

 

So what will I allow myself to be tempted by this year? I am very excited that I finally have a much longed for greenhouse that I inherited from a neighbour who was about to throw it out. It was lovingly moved in the summer pane by careful pane (with their blessing I hasten to add!) and so any seeds I buy will be given priority with regards greenhouse growing. More on this topic with my next blog.