Seed porn

Mother Nature ensured that any quality time out in the garden today was reduced to zero thanks to the 80mph winds and torrential downpour. So, i remained in my pyjamas all day and resorted to my back-up plan – seed shopping (or as Mr Swift describes it,‘seed pornography’).

While i dispute my husband’s comparison of me to a sweaty loaner addicted to online porn, I will confess to scouring the internet looking for heritage seed providers. I’m determined to grow more unique and endangered varieties in 2010 rather than relying on the trusty Marshalls vegetable garden collection. Thankfully, Seeds of Italy and Thomas Etty have come up trumps. I’ve even gone as far as ordering a few varieties from Hugh himself.

I will admit to being somewhat of a seed snob (if there is such a thing). In my eyes you don’t have the right to call yourself a gardener unless at least one thing in your garden started off as a pack of seeds in your hand, in the same way that bunging a ready meal in the microwave doesn’t really make you Gordon Ramsey. I know not everyone is fortunate enough to have a greenhouse, but that doesn’t stop you chucking a few lettuce seeds in a window box and growing your own salad (sooooo much tastier and cheaper than those atrocious supermarket salad bags). If my argument has convinced any of you to give it a go, this variety is one of my favourites.

Let’s hope the weather eases up tomorrow long enough for me to plant my garlic and let Margot and Jerry out for a spot of free ranging. Otherwise both the hens and i may go a little stir crazy.