Everyday I’ve been doing my anxious mother hen impression checking on the seeds I planted last week.  Watching and waiting to see the signs of seedlings breaking cover through the light dusting of soil I pushed over them.  The first shoots started coming through a couple of days ago which heralded much wooping of delight.  Much to the confusion and excitement of the hounds.

I’ve been laying bets with myself which would be the first seeds to break the hibernation ranks and bring new lusciousness into this world.  Can you guess who won?

The winner of my first growing race was a dead heat.  On the same day there was a lettuce poking a green shoot at the same time as a broccoli seed.  Since then the rest of the seed pack has been flourishing with Thyme, rocket, tomatoes and leeks starting to show their growing prowess.

The broccoli, chillis and red cabbage seem the most enthusastic to grow.

Although I suspect that in reality it will be the lettuce that wins the day to reach the potager first.

It’s a sense of huge relief right now knowing that my haphazard growing techniques can actually stimulate the right reaction in the seeds.  There’s a long way to go still with lots more seeds that have to come through.  I’ve taken the advice of Ruta and covered the pots with cling film to keep the moisure in.

I’m sure the gardening books did tell me to do that it was a level of detail I’d overlooked.  Or perhaps they told me I needed propogators and warming mats and at that point I closed my mind and decided I although didn’t have those I’d give it a whirl anyway.

So the growing race is finally up and running.  I’ll be planting out some more seeds this coming weekend to be sure that I have sufficient seedlings and also to make use of the new seeds I’m ordering today with a wider range of vegetable varieties.

Now I just need to work out where they are all going to go when my dear friend Sarah arrives from the UK to stay in a few weeks time.  The barn has clear panels in the roof so I’m sure that will make a comfortable alternative accomodation – for the seeds that is!