Work continues in the garage. It may be cold and bleak but the light inside the garage/sunroom is warm and inviting, and I’m encouraged to hang out, propagate and enjoy the prospect of better times to come. No doubt in high summer, the garden, beach and beach hut will beckon, but in early spring when the sap is rising and it’s too cool to hang about outside, will be optimum indoor gardening moments.
The plectranthus and salvias need to be kept clean of fallen leaves to discourage mould and just watered when they really need it; scented geraniums must be kept dry in a light spot, the succulents must also be kept dry and frost free all winter; and the cymbidium orchids need a cold period to encourage them to flower when brought into the warm. The thermostat on the greenhouse heater is set to come on when the temperature falls, but so far it hasn’t been cold enough here in Whitstable.
I intend to sow seedlings but can see no point in starting them off too early – they just grow long and leggy, but maybe just a few tomatoes next month to get homegrown in May/June. I’ve been phoning round nurseries to find a successful peat-free seed compost. Chris and David at Edible Culture suggest sieving Melcourt Sylvagrow and The Walled Nursery says they cut theirs 50/50 with vermiculite. Dalefoot remind us that their wool seed compost retains moisture really efficiently, so not to overwater. I often root cuttings in water, so keep them in the house till spring when I pot on.
Andrew Crowley took these fab photos of the garage for my article in the Saturday Telegraph that apparently had over 50,000 clicks online. Amazing!