No, YOU bought a bunch of seed in December

[Silvergilt]

Oh dear, I've been at it again....I ordered a bunch of seed for the garden effort, of which I have waffled on about in another thread: healthunlocked.com/lupusuk/...

Things went from bad to worse last year and while I got a few things sorted, for the most part the garden wasn't well tended. Still got some lovely fruits and veg, and my Henz don't know the meaning of slowly down production over winter? (Anyone want some eggs? Geez!)

I was in a really bad way in the fall and feeling very low. A friend of mine made a fundraiser for me to help refurb my garden. Combined with a large refund of overpaid council tax, I've been able to go a bit mad; new raised beds, stepping stones and bark to build a back garden path, money to repair treacherous decking and to refill joints in paving slabs....basically I've got a lot of work to do, which my new medication is helping me cope with though it is still difficult and exhausting. Even so I love nothing more than playing in dirt. I've actually started some veg on the windowsills already because I've never tried growing shallots from seed, so I figure sooner is best! I'm trying a lot of leafy greens because I am not eating enough veggies - mostly due to boredom with typical winter fare. I have broken down and bought a plant for curiosity which I am going to make the main focus of my front garden; a medlar tree which I will grow in a pot and keep pruned down to about 2 meters high. I'm intrigued by the fruits so looking forward to it.

This year the garden is about repair and future use - I'm coming to accept my limited mobility isn't going to improve much so I want to make my garden as safe as possible- replacing rotting deck boards with composite wood decking, rearranging seating to keep me out of the light as much as possible during summer yet still able to enjoy my patch, put weed membrane on as many surfaces as possible in lower garden to save me effort of trying to keep up and growing in raised beds instead of in the ground for same. Mulch all the things! I don't have the energy to fight weeds but if the ground elder wants to challenge my comfrey to a duel, we'll see who wins - and my money is on the comfrey.

I kmow its January, and I kmow I woke up to two inches of surprise snow on the ground, and I kmow its early....but can you feel that urge to plant things yet? Spring is whispering in my ear, and I can't wait till it sings loud and clear.

[Purpletop]

Interesting fight - ground elder v comfrey. Add horseradish to that and I'd be curious which wins. Well done getting the revamp on the way. What is it with gardeners and seeds? My husband is the veg gardener, I deal with fruit and flowers. Each winter he gets hundreds of packs of seeds, he either buys them in sales, or gets them with magazines. That's on top of the seeds he saves each year from the garden.

I'm glad your new meds are helping and have fun with the repairs and the medlar tree.

[Silvergilt in reply to Purpletop]

ahahahah, now there's a thought, I've got some horseradish and mint as well. I'd never have to weed again. Granted I'd also never be able to find anything...it might look interesting even so.

Ah, yes, my guilty pleasure. I have friends who love shoes, or lipstick, and they buy shades they think are pretty, or would go nicely with their wardrobe, only to get home and realise they have a nearly identical pair at home. One friend of mine has a drawer nearly full of nail polish in her vanity desk. It's sort of like that as far as buying seeds; someting sounds great, worth trying out as a change, and they're cheap in January. Almost all the varities I have are heirloom, so I quite literally can't get them anywhere else. I hope I can save seed as well but there's some stuff I've never heard of before which I've also bought because it just looks cool.....

*sigh* I know, I probably have a Problem. But I can stop a any time, I'm sure!

[Silvergilt]

Thanks for the advice! I started a perennial permaculture garden last year which was the business, I just let it do whatever and it grew just fine and gave my Henz plenty of greens to nibble. Best of all I didn't have to weed much.

My son wants me to grow corn and sunflowers and he will help water them (because boys and water hoses...hide your washing!). The weed membrane is a step I really wanted to sort out as I couldn't keep up at all with cutting paths clear and so I hope that sorts it.

So sorry this winter has been rough for you. I had jabs for everything: flu, pneumonia, td to take anti-virals I'd I even so much as a cough. I don't go much into public spaces and I've had to get rather fixed on using hand gel at all times, so I've been lucky. I'm just not sure what sunlight is going to do to me this year :/