I had intended to sow some broad beans at the very beginning of February but you know how it is. Too cold outside for fiddling about with empty pots and compost.
However, it was beautiful today. I put the heating off before going for a swim (at the local leisure centre, not the nearest pond, lake or river) and I haven’t put it back on all day. So, when I realised I hadn’t fulfilled the promise to myself of sorting out the beans, I thought I had better get out there before dusk.
Only six pots will fit in the propagator at one time, so the plan is to do some successional planting. Once these six have germinated, they can move to another windowsill and then into the shed for hardening off before planting out. Taking it of course we don’t have any Beasts from the East this spring, thank you very much.
Growing out of chaos 
Gosh! I have only just got my seed order! Though I am planning to clean the glass in the greenhouse this week ready for seed sowing. Some of the perennial stuff is starting to come through outside so like you I am hoping there will be no really cold weather now.
I got the seeds from the nursery when I picked up the last apple tree in January 😊.
Like you, I can see perennial stuff, though mostly flowers such as anemones and primroses in the back. I did spy nettles as well, though.
Anyway, best of luck with your new shoots. What have you got?
It is too long a list to type here but then I have a much bigger garden than you. Almost all are vegetables though some edible flowers and a few just to look nice. Mostly if I want flowers I choose perennials since the annual veg are enough seedlings to cope with! I get my seeds from Real Seeds who have a very helpful section on their website on how to save your own seeds and I do save quite a lot – but there are always some which I fail with for one reason or another and I like to try new varieties too. At least I have been working on cleaning the greenhouse today and should finish it tomorrow. It is a start!
Well done for starting on the greenhouse 😊. And good luck with future seed-saving. Like you, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Each weekend i say i will take propagator out but you’ve beaten me to it. Well done!
Thank you! Depending on what you want to grow, it might be too early for the propagator, anyway 😊
Do you know how cold broad beans can survive and thrive? I’d like to start mine earlier, because it turns hot here so quickly, but the two tries starting them indoors have not been terrific, just okay. Thought maybe direct sowing them would be better?
What is your climate like? Here I can overwinter them outside but with my recent landscaping work I couldn’t do that this particular time round. They won’t reliably grow from directing sowing now, though.
Well, I could risk it, I guess, as we’re at 12-14 degrees C this week but at night it could still get cold. And being Britain, it could be 3 degrees next week. In other words, I think broad beans can withstand low temps if they have acclimatised to them but would’ve germinate at them.
Good luck with these
Thank you, Derrick.