Grow what you love
I have started writing this blog so many times, and gone down lots of different avenues about seeds.
- Should I write about how to grow them?
- What to do before you grow them?
- Which seeds to choose?
- Whether to sow indoors or outside?
In the end, I gave up trying to make it perfect. So instead, I thought I’d simply have a chat about seeds – along with a couple of podcasts I’ve been listening to recently and a lovely book I’ve read called The Common Sense Gardener.
But first, let’s talk about seeds
The Joy of Watching Things Grow
Sowing seeds is just joyful, isn’t it? Watching something grow from almost nothing is such a beautiful thing. Chicks, puppies, seeds… they’re all the same really. You watch them grow and blossom.
The first thing to do each year is to get all your seed packets out and see what you actually have. Every year, I discover packets I had completely forgotten about. Then I organise them. Some people organise their seeds alphabetically, but I prefer to sort mine by month – March, April, May, June and so on. If a packet says it can be sown in March and April, I’ll put it in the March box, sow some, and then move it into the April box so I can sow another batch later. That way, I get ‘succession’ planting and avoid ending up with hundreds of the same thing all at once.
Heart and Soul (or should that be ‘soil’?)
When I started looking at my flower seeds this year, I made a very long list, then I cut it back. And then I cut it back again, until I was left with only the flowers I truly love. Because that’s really my theme this year: grow what you love. If you love what you’re growing, you naturally care for it better.
It’s the same as cooking. If I’m cooking something I don’t really enjoy, I’ll do it because I have to, but not with much enthusiasm. Whereas, if it’s something I love, I put my heart and soul into it.
Gardening works exactly the same way. So this year I’m growing flowers that bring me complete joy. Because I grow flowers for bouquets, I’m mostly choosing tall varieties. I’m also looking at which plants prefer full sun and which are happier in partial shade. (Partial shade usually means they can cope with morning sun. but not the intense heat of the afternoon.) I’m also trying to include perennials where I can, because planting something once and seeing it return year after year is magical!
And whenever possible, I buy good-quality seeds. Starting with strong plants means I can often save seeds later or divide bulbs, so that initial investment continues to give back.
Growing Vegetables That Actually Make You Happy
After I finish narrowing down the flower list, I move on to vegetables. Growing your own food is such a win. Fresh produce grown without chemicals is wonderful for our bodies, and growing plants helps store carbon in the soil, too. And if you grow more vegetables than you need, you can always donate the extras to your local food bank, which means people get fresh, organic produce.
But I’ve also realised something important. Growing vegetables you don’t actually like isn’t much fun. So this year, I’m only growing vegetables I truly enjoy eating. If I love them, I’ll nurture them properly. I’ve also been listening to some fascinating podcasts recently about preserving food – bottling and canning vegetables so they last through the winter months. When you start thinking about it, the cost of things like tinned tomatoes really adds up over winter. So this year I’m planning to grow plenty of tomatoes and preserve them myself for soups and sauces later in the year.
My Walipini Plan
In the middle bed of the greenhouse, I’ve decided to grow tomatoes alongside garlic and onions. They’ll make the perfect base for so many dishes – especially curries – using beautiful pesticide-free produce grown here on the farm. Alongside them, I’m adding basil and oregano, so I can make delicious Italian tomato sauces too.
Tomatoes really are one of those vegetables that work across so many cuisines – soups, sauces, stews – so having plenty preserved for winter feels like a very good plan.
Aubergines, Courgettes and Things That Make Me Smile
I absolutely love aubergines, and one side of the greenhouse will be dedicated to growing them. We’ll also have courgettes, because I adore ratatouille. And there’ll be chillies too – although, to be honest, I mostly grow them because I love looking at them. They’re just joyful plants.
And really, that’s what this garden is about: growing things that bring happiness.
There’ll also be turmeric and ginger, which I love using fresh from the garden. This year, I’m going to grow mustard greens too. Young mustard leaves have a wonderful bite and are fantastic tossed into a salad for a little extra kick. A lovely young American woman introduced me to them years ago and said, “Oh, we eat these all the time in America.” I’d never heard of them before, and now I think they’re wonderful.
The Rest of the Garden
That’s roughly how the walipini greenhouse will be planted this spring. Outside, I’ll see how things develop as the season goes on. I’ll definitely expand the rhubarb, because that makes me ridiculously happy; kale grows beautifully here as well. I always think I should eat it every day, but somehow I never quite get around to it. Maybe this will finally be the year.
Share Some Of Your Favourites
And that is my vegetable seeding plan for this season. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of planting seeds and watching them evolve into something wonderful. Growing your own flowers and vegetables isn’t just about the harvest, but about the small moments of joy along the way – getting your hands dirty, seeing those first green shoots, and nurturing something from start to finish.
I’d love to know: What are your favourite things to grow, and why? Is it for the flavour, the colours, the memories, or simply the joy of watching them thrive? Feel free to email me and tell me your gardening joys.