It’s taken weeks of pouring over seed catalogues, looking through existing seed stocks and staring into space……that is what it must have looked like I was doing but really I was envisioning next years vegetable garden, borders and containers and all the wonderous colour combinations, tasty morsels and frothy florals that I will start creating in the new year…..and it is finally complete. My order is being processed and new seeds should be here before Christmas.
Tiny packages; ticking timebombs of colours, scents and deliciousness. I cannot wait to hold them; imagine how the photograph on the front will morph into real life in the coming weeks and then obsessively sort them into piles of Veg, Herb or Flower, in chronological order, according to when the seeds will be sown.
Some seeds will be tried and tested favourites but others will be brand new, exciting little strangers with the potential to become friends for life. But which? Oooh, the fun I will have.
There will be failures; there always are. Some will fail to even germinate whilst some will succumb to unfavourable weather or (gulp, stiff upper lip, girl) slugs and snails but I should hope that most will make it to maturity; to be enjoyed on the plate, in a floral display or in the border amongst established perennials.
Some may go on to form my favourite combinations of 2015 – like this little corner from late summer 2014, which looked magical right up until early December and was achieved solely from seed:
Zinnia’s, Calendula, cornflowers and Brompton Stocks. A winner.
I said that the seed order is complete. This is not strictly true. I have yet to source a couple of sweet peas with whom I fell in love last year. ‘Wiltshire Ripple’ and Fragrant Skies’, look out, I’m coming to get you!
Beautiful ‘Wiltshire Ripple’ – my no.1 sweet pea from 2014.