Monday 4 May 2020

GARDEN: Summerhouse Plant Shelf


What better way to spend the time during the Covid 19 lockdown than trying your hand at growing a few vegetables.  This is a first for me as I've never had the time before, or was always too rushed to remember things like watering and plant nurture.  Now, for multiple reasons, seems as good a time as ever.

To adapt the Summerhouse with this in mind, I decided to put up a plant shelf as somewhere for seedlings to grow as well as for my cactus and succulent collection. This was made out of surplus timber that was lying around, which is also a great way of using up materials. Larger plants can always be stood on the floor.

Great light and greenhouse temperatures.

Handy as a drinks ledge too!
Having managed to procure some Dwarf French Beans in this time of seed scarcity, I was surprised to see them germinate so quickly. In all, about seven days and the first is breaking through the soil.

There's something lurking just below the surface  
Somewhat as an experiment, I scooped some seeds out of one of the more expensive variety of vine tomatoes, dried them on a paper towel and then sowed them a few days later.  I am absolutely overjoyed to see so much activity in such short time.  To date, I have around a dozen seedlings.

Vivacious vine tomatoes - no holding back
Due to the explosion of vine tomatoes seedlings, my next venture were the seeds of an almost spent Bell Pepper that was lurking in the fridge. I'd read that the more riper the pepper the better chances of success. I am still waiting to see if they germinate, and if they do prove fruitful it goes to show that you need not look any further than your kitchen to find things to grow.
 
My trusted companion, the Pepper kitty, didn't seem so impressed.  I think she would have preferred if I'd invested my time and energy in chickens.

Look into my eyes...Chickens