Sowing the seeds of a New Year

(Sowing the seeds for the forthcoming year) 

Of all the things that have been posted through our letterbox this Christmas, one of the most welcome things has been a seed catalogue. I love reading seed catalogues even though I know we already have all the seeds we need for the coming growing season. 

The first thing I successfully grew from seed was Aubrieta. The magic of seeing those germinating seeds growing into flowering plants has never diminished. 

Growing from seed is one of the cheapest and satisfying things a gardener can do. A packet of lettuce seeds cost about the same price as supermarket salad leaves. But contained in the little envelope are enough seeds to provide salad leaves all year long. 

One of the best things about growing from seed is variety; from the newest introductions to the old heirloom varieties, the choice is astonishing. 

Supermarket vegetable varieties are sold for one reason: shelf life. The classic case in point of this is iceberg lettuce. It tastes of nothing, but the food industry loves it because it stays crisp, longer than other lettuce does. Whereas growing your own is all about freshness and taste. 

In the coming new year, why not order yourself a few seed catalogues. They are the perfect thing to while away a cold winters afternoon. However, be aware, or be sensible at least. Selecting seeds can be addictive. Before you know it, you might have enough seeds to cover an acre of ground, instead of your meagre vegetable patch. 

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