Things often go wrong in the garden so it is a change when serendipity takes a hand.

Recent Accidents
In my greenhouse I have a permanent, slatted wooden bench. I must have been careless with some wallflower seeds which have fallen close to the glass, grown and flowered.
Every morning for weeks I have gone to open the doors to air the greenhouse and been confronted by a wonderful smell. If I had planned to get a scented greenhouse I could not have done better.
I will now try more scented accidents but will stick to one scent at a time with wallflowers featuring again next spring.

A different seed accident has taught me a painful lesson. My compost got contaminated either at the supplier or in my potting shed.
I keep my compost in old waste bins and leave the top open when I am using the compost regularly.
To a bag of compost I add sand or John Innes depending what  am growing. This years first batch of seeds grew rapidly but every pot has grown a crop of weeds.
Fortunately I used all the contaminated compost before I realised the problem and later sowings in fresh compost were fine.

 

Occasionally even the best seed packet retailers make a mistake with the contents or plant description. Don’t assume it is always your fault.

Action for the future

I must not mix  one bag of compost with another.
Buy the same brand of trusted compost everytime (I used five different ones this year).
Put a lid or cover on the compost to stop insects, seeds and fungus causing problems.
Not storing paper envelopes of seed on the shelf above my compost.
Plan ‘accidental’ seed sowing in interesting places.

 

• Whilst in the aluminium greenhouse I strung a firm wire across from the knee high screw holes as part of my intended support for tomato plants later in the year.
• During the hot spring I have damped down the greenhouse to improve humidity. I used the hose pipe on fine spray from the doorway to water the seed trays.
• I am ready to harvest the small carrots I have grown in the greenhouse where the tomato plants will go.