Seeds to stems - April

Last Wednesday saw our second visit to the flower farm, and this time it the sun was kind and shone down on us for the whole morning! It was a glorious morning, and the farm looks so lovely when bathed in bright sunshine.

So following an update on the last months changes and growth on the farm, plus a check on the polytunnel which is now full of a whole rainbow of Ranunculus flowers, us flower farm apprentices had two main tasks on the list for the day – potting on our seedlings and preparing and sowing two big beds on the farm.

All of my seeds sown during the previous visit, had germinated other than the Daucus which is still stubbornly not growing. I’ve made big changes in the way I label my seedlings now, well if I’m honest just adding any kind of label is a big improvement but now I’ve gone a step further and learning from Jen at the farm I’m adding the date sown on the back of the label and even popping a little reminder of how long the packet says they will take to germinate on. Get me! How super organised is this? Of course, just because a seed takes longer than the packet states to germinate, doesn’t mean it will be thrown out immediately, but it does give me a quick guide to knowing where things are at, and also will hopefully help me learn more about the flowers. Years of growing veg means that I kinda know what to expect but flowers is a whole new arena and they seem to be much more variable than my good old veg – lots and lots to learn.

I’m really pleased with the sweet peas, they are growing well and looking strong so are currently being hardened off for a couple of days and then will be out with the others which have been outside for a couple of weeks now. On the farm, there is the longest row of sweet peas which I’m really looking forward to seeing flower, its going to look rather dramatic I feel.

This means I have lots and lots of potting on to do, and the greenhouse is getting full. I keep looking round the garden eyeing up the lawn, this definitely needs to go – and be replaced by a polytunnel and more flower beds . . . . . . . . .

Job number two for us lot, was to prepare two large beds and get the seeds in. When I say prepare the bed, to be fair Jen had done quite a bit of prep work before we got there but we got to get our hands mucky (which is a common state for mine during the planting season) mixing in organic matter and fertiliser. Next job was to sow a variety of seeds that had been saved from last years flowers which cause a quick debate, should they be sown in blocks (a yes from me) or scattered all mixed up together. With the diplomacy of a UN peacekeeper, one member of the group quickly suggested that we did one bed mixed, and one in blocks – fabulous idea! Carefully walking on the beds to press them down, ensuring the seeds have good contact with the soil and a thorough soak with the hose pipe completed the job. All of the water used on the farm is rain water, collected in those huge big tanks that I can never remember the name of, using the guttering from the shed and large collecting tray thingies, that I also don’t know the name of, to collect the water and a pump to extract it to the hose pipe. Excellent set up, and brilliant use of quite simple equipment to collect and use water.

I would like to say that that’s it until next month, but I do have quite a lot of potting on of my seedlings to do. And Mr HVS has been busy building some new raised beds that need filling with flowers!